Benefits of making your own energy drink

You have probably heard many times about the importance of hydration after intense physical activities; if you are a regular athlete, you will know how important it is for the body to regain energy after a long session.

Although the market is full of commercial energy drinks, Gatorade being the most recognized; but the truth is that they are not entirely recommendable, since their ingredients include colorants and excess sugars that in the long run can be negative for the organism.

Why is hydration so important?

When the body faces high temperatures or has been active in sports, it loses electrolytes which, if not replenished, can generate a feeling of weakness and even lead to dehydration.

Electrolytes are micronutrients of great importance for the body, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, phosphorus, and magnesium.  For any sportsman or athlete, it will always be important to replenish electrolytes to keep up with the demands of their disciplines.

Commercial beverages such as Gatorade can often be seen as major protagonists in stadiums and sports fields, to indicate a few. However, as already mentioned their excessive consumption can lead to obesity and even tooth decay, precisely because of their high sugar content. 

Fortunately, some alternatives are effective and more reliable to replenish electrolytes naturally and, more importantly, that does not harm your health. It will be great news to know that you can make your energy drink in the comfort of your home and with totally reliable ingredients.

Benefits and risks of high consumption of commercial energy drinks

Athletes are particularly concerned about their performance, and will always choose to seek out the most recommended alternatives. The outside world, still, is bombarded by advertising for commercial drinks; which, while they may help to replenish electrolyte levels, contain additives that are not positive for your health.

Energy drinks such as Gatorade, for example, are recommended only for dedicated athletes who must maintain constant intense training sessions. However, the same is not true for “occasional” athletes who have short, spaced-out training sessions.

This is largely due to the certainty that serious athletes will manage to burn the sugar present in the beverage, due to the high impact of their sports activities; this will not occur with less constant or “common” people, who would be at risk of obesity or diabetes if they maintain a high consumption.

There are several studies on this matter, such as the one conducted in 2014 by the University of California at Berkeley, it argue that the consumption of sugary drinks in children; including energy drinks are counterproductive to health as they affect weight and can be linked to conditions such as diabetes.

Additionally, the use of sweeteners for the “low-calorie” versions of these drinks, according to the 2010 study titled Effects of Artificial Sweeteners on Body Weight, Food and Beverage Intake; can negatively impact people’s weight.

Options for make your energy drink

The best option to maintain high levels of performance and provide your body with the necessary nutrients, is to replenish electrolytes naturally through homemade energy drinks, with natural ingredients that provide only benefits.

There are countless options to make your energy drink and replenish all those necessary nutrients, without resorting to commercial drinks. Here are some simple and easy-to-make recipes that will become your favorite way to replenish electrolytes naturally.

Keep your energy levels up and protect yourself from dehydration with a few natural ingredients of great benefit. We must strive to find the best options in this regard.

For example, a good substitute for processed sugar is honey; for its use, it is advisable to include two to three tablespoons per liter. Let us not forget that the WHO recommendation on rehydration drinks should contain 6 to 8 teaspoons of sugar per liter. This is something that many commercial beverages do not meet.

Another good option that is effective for diabetics is stevia. A few drops will be enough to obtain a great taste, without collateral damage.

Generally, the ingredients needed to make these energy drinks that will help replenish electrolytes naturally include water, lemons, salt, processed sugar substitutes such as those mentioned above, baking soda, among others.

Recipes for making your homemade hydration drink

To effectively make energy drink with all the necessary nutrients, 5 main ingredients are required:

• Water.
• Sugar or any substitute.
• Citric Acid.
• Monopotassium Phosphate.
• Sea Salt.

To start we have the following recipe, super simple to make. You will only need:

3 cups of water

3 teaspoons honey

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup orange juice

½ cup lemon juice

The preparation of this homemade hydrating drink (Bien-Bien 2015) only requires mixing all of the above-named ingredients and chilling or enjoying with crushed ice.

Another excellent option for prepare a natural energy drink is as follows;

1 cup of lemon or orange juice

6 cups of cold water

2 tablespoons of honey

½ teaspoon of sea salt

Bring the cup of juice, honey, and salt to medium heat and stir until all ingredients are well integrated. Once the salt is completely dissolved pour this mixture into the 6 cups of water. Refrigerate well.

The last recipe I will be sharing with you is just as simple and is a powerful homemade hydrating drink that you can enjoy after your workout to replenish electrolytes and recover that energy to continue delivering peak performance.

1 cup lemon juice

1 pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon of honey

1 pinch of ginger 

6 cups coconut water

Just mix all the ingredients and refrigerate to enjoy a natural energy drink that will help you replenish electrolytes, without additives that may affect your weight or general health. 

Making your energy drink will not take much time. As you will have seen from the three recipes above, the preparation only involves gathering the necessary ingredients. 

The goal is to maintain optimal performance, preserving health through the intake of homemade hydrating drink that provides the necessary nutrient content to meet the different challenges of everyday life; both inside and outside any sports area. 

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