# Homebrew electrolyte



## salimoneus (Oct 12, 2004)

I was looking over the ingredients on a bottle of chewable electrolyte tabs ($14 for 30 tabs) at a health food store, and then wandered down the supplements aisle, and was able to find all the same ingredients in powder supplement form for about $13, which should net me around 200 servings. This way I can just add a small scoup to my water, and flavor it in any way I choose, and control the amount of sugars as well.

The commercial chewable electrolyte tabs have roughly 6-10% of the RDA of each main ingredient: Calcium, Magnesium, Chloride, and Sodium. Potassium is quite a bit less at only about 1%.

The first product I bought was a Calcium & Magnesium powder supplement, which contains 50 servings, but supplies 50% RDA calcium and 100% RDA magnesium. This could easily be stretched out to 200 servings and still provide a bit more than the tabs.

The second product I bought was a Potassium powder supplement, which contains 100 servings, but supplies more than double the RDA of the chewable tabs. This could easily be stretched out to 200 servings and still provide a bit more than the tabs.

The only remaining ingredients are Sodium and Chloride, which are conveniently both taken care of with ordinary table salt. I'll probably opt for some natural sea salt for the additional trace minerals available.

Then to add a little flavor, you could squeeze in some lemon or lime, or maybe add some koolaid mix along with your favorite sweetener. I prefer the all-natural calorie-free Stevia sweetener, but there are lots of options. Some of my favorite carb sweeteners include Agave, Brown Rice, Maple, and other natural syrups.

So instead of paying 50 cents a serving or even much more for some pre-packaged gunk, and getting stuck with tons of sugar, additives, and who knows what else, you could simply make your own for only about 15 cents per serving, know exactly what is in it, and flavor it just how you like.


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## FLMike (Sep 28, 2008)

So what mixture and form of delivery did you end up going with?


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## salimoneus (Oct 12, 2004)

FLMike said:


> So what mixture and form of delivery did you end up going with?


It varies depending on what my replenishment needs are. That's the nice thing about being able to have the electrolytes separate from the carbs, or embedded in a commercial drink or gel as is usually the case.

For example if I plan on being out for an extended or especially strenuous ride and could use the carb boost, I'll premix the electrolyte powder along with some brown rice syrup/agave/honey. Otherwise if I don't plan on working too hard but know I'll be losing a lot of electrolytes through sweat (warmer days) then I can formulate it slightly different perhaps with some stevia instead of the sugars.

It's also cool being able to totally customize your electrolyte drink. Since these powders are basically odorless and tasteless, you could add them to pretty much any flavored drink and be good to go. Hmmm, maybe next I should try biking pina colada style, minus the booze of course


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## salimoneus (Oct 12, 2004)

Another good option to consider, is adding some green tea powder to the mix. Consuming moderate amounts of caffeine during workouts is becoming more popular with athletes, and green tea powder is a great way to get the caffeine as well as the anti-oxidant properties.


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## XCProphet (Aug 23, 2005)

Great Post... Green Tea with electrolytes...minus the Yellow#5, extra sugar, and bromothylene from that Crocade drink


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## 18rabbit (Dec 3, 2012)

Anybody here drink coconut water? I know its not home brew for us Northerners, but down South coconuts be growing everywhere! Supposedly the same electrolyte level as human plasma.


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## salimoneus (Oct 12, 2004)

18rabbit said:


> Anybody here drink coconut water? I know its not home brew for us Northerners, but down South coconuts be growing everywhere! Supposedly the same electrolyte level as human plasma.


I grab some when it's on sale, but even then it's not cheap. A new brand I recently picked up at Whole Paycheck called Taste Nirvana in the tall green cans that is the best I've tried.

I'm truly envious of anyone that lives where they grow natively. There are so many uses, from using the meat and/or juice in foods, using the extracted oil as a replacement for butter or added to foods or smoothies, personal skin/hair care, the list is so long it's nuts


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## 50calray (Oct 25, 2010)

18rabbit said:


> Anybody here drink coconut water? I know its not home brew for us Northerners, but down South coconuts be growing everywhere! Supposedly the same electrolyte level as human plasma.


I tried mixing a container of coconut water and bottle water today in my camel pack. If you can get past the taste it's not a bad electrolyte alternative. I had to force my self to choke it down but I felt good during my 16.5 mile ride. I normally love coconut but coconut water isn't for me...I may try mixing it with something at a later time.


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## soloarts (Nov 3, 2012)

It's nice to have the time to do customized mixes. One thing to remember is that the human gut does a better job of transferring its electrolytes if there is a proper combination of electrolytes and carbs (in the form of water, sodium, glucose and fructose). More could be said, and you can delve into it if you like. Or ask me for some links. (Different links for different questions, and I will need to post more before being allowed to do hyperlinks on this site, I think.) Quick point being, electrolytes + the proper carb mix is more effective than electrolytes alone. Proper proportions are key as well. And, while one can exercise on bodily stored reserves of these elements for a little while without supplementation, having a good mix is good insurance. Sometimes my "short" rides last longer than I planned for, because it's just too fun to quit 

Rich Fletcher
SoloArts Cycling
Tailwind Nutrition


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## salimoneus (Oct 12, 2004)

soloarts said:


> It's nice to have the time to do customized mixes. One thing to remember is that the human gut does a better job of transferring its electrolytes if there is a proper combination of electrolytes and carbs (in the form of water, sodium, glucose and fructose). More could be said, and you can delve into it if you like. Or ask me for some links. (Different links for different questions, and I will need to post more before being allowed to do hyperlinks on this site, I think.) Quick point being, electrolytes + the proper carb mix is more effective than electrolytes alone. Proper proportions are key as well. And, while one can exercise on bodily stored reserves of these elements for a little while without supplementation, having a good mix is good insurance. Sometimes my "short" rides last longer than I planned for, because it's just too fun to quit


I agree, it's rare that I would not include some type of carb in with my sports drink, unless of course I had just eaten a large stack of pancakes then it's probably not necessary 

It can certainly take some time up front to get the ingredients together and formulate something palatable, but after that it hardly takes any time at all to add the premixed electrolyte to whatever concoction is desired. Just like with our diets it's worth taking the extra time to make sure we are ingesting quality foods and supplements, instead of always buying something off the shelf from an unknown origin.

My current favorite mix consists of:

-Reverse osmosis filtered water
-Homebrew electrolyte mix
-A few drops of trace minerals
-Green Tea powder
-Raw honey

It literally takes less than a minute to make, has everything I need from a sports drink, and tastes pretty darn good!

Thanks for the feedback :thumbsup:


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## soloarts (Nov 3, 2012)

Sounds good, Salimoneus! I agree whole heartedly that ingesting the best is always the right thing to do. Making time to take care of our bodies with amazing nutrition is key for good performance and a better life as well, yes? I'm obviously partial to Tailwind for that reason. It's just easy for me. Plus, it's a lifestyle choice for both of us. I use a mix that's totally positive and super convenient for me. You make time to quickly create a mix that works for you. Good on ya!! And if you ever tire of DIY, we have this website thing... I'm thinking you might like what we have... Just in case. You could try it and see... Shameless plug, I know  Thanks for your thoughtful response and your recipe! 

Rich Fletcher
SoloArts Cycling
Tailwind Nutrition


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## Piratefly (Oct 26, 2012)

+ Rep

I really like this idea to make your own electrolyte drink. I get calf cramps if I'm not careful and have been looking for a good recipe.

Only question though, how much salt should you add to the mix? I'd be weary of adding too much just out of ignorance.


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## salimoneus (Oct 12, 2004)

Piratefly said:


> + Rep
> 
> I really like this idea to make your own electrolyte drink. I get calf cramps if I'm not careful and have been looking for a good recipe.
> 
> Only question though, how much salt should you add to the mix? I'd be weary of adding too much just out of ignorance.


I try to shoot for around 1/4 teaspoon of salt per liter of sports drink, roughly equivalent to 500mg (0.5g) of sodium per liter, which is approximately what most commercial sports drinks contain. I prefer natural sea salt due to being minimally processed and the trace minerals, but regular table salt will work. Let me know how it turns out!


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## Forged1 (Dec 8, 2011)

This sounds great, I had been wondering about making my own electrolyte brew for a while. Thanks for posting this! I will give this a try.


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## enfyre (Jan 25, 2013)

This is great idea. thanks


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

18rabbit said:


> Anybody here drink coconut water? I know its not home brew for us Northerners, but down South coconuts be growing everywhere! Supposedly the same electrolyte level as human plasma.


Interesting that you mention this. Expired plasma can be bought relatively cheaply at blood banks, and is great for hydrating.

Failing that, I mix Morton's Lite Salt with whatever I feel like drinking, usually Kool-Aid. It works great. Haven't had a cramp or felt awful after a long ride since I started drinking it. 3 teaspoons per 2 cups of sugar and 3 packets of Koolaid. Lite Salt has sodium and potassium.

If you think you might be low on magnesium, you can take magnesium tabs separately. They give me wacky dreams.

I was just joking about the plasma.


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## pequin (Jan 24, 2013)

> Expired plasma can be bought relatively cheaply at blood banks, and is great for hydrating.


:eekster:


> I was just joking about the plasma.


*whew*


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## fatoldaggie (Sep 25, 2012)

I am also a fan of homebrew mix, BUT:
*
BE CAREFUL WITH POTASSIUM, YOU CAN DIE FROM OVERDOSING*

Do not screw around. Measure your ingredients.

Here's a mix I found at WebMD, I've used it for the past couple of Texas summers, works great.

1 quart (950 mL) water
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) table salt
¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) salt substitute (potassium-based), such as Lite Salt or Morton Salt Substitute
2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar

Rehydration drinks

Note that's ONE QUARTER TEASPOON of potassium for a WHOLE QUART OF WATER


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## Whambat (Jul 30, 2006)

I've been making my own drinks for years, just a few things I have found:
baking soda reacts with citric acid (in Koolaid if you use it) to make sodium citrate and CO2 which is very sour and it carbonates the drinks, didn't work well for me.

I used to use green tea powder, tends to add a bitter flavor and it's easy to over-caffenate with it, I now only add it to an occasional bottle to give a boost of caffeine.

Sugar sucks as an only form of carbs, maltodextrin is easy to buy. 

Sea salt just tastes better than table salt.

Reverse engineering comercial drinks from the label is pretty easy, start there and then play around to find what you like.

And yes, too much potassium can kill, over salt and you will be ok, your taste buds will tell you. Over do it on potassium you can die. Perform these calculations very carefully.


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## salimoneus (Oct 12, 2004)

Anything can be lethal at mega-doses, but let's not overdo it on the potassium overdose warnings. 

The lethal dose of potassium chloride is in the neighborhood of 2500mgs per kg of body weight in 30 seconds. For someone weighing ~200lbs that's about 226,785mg in 30 seconds.

One of the capsules from the supplement in my first post contains 99mg of potassium. So if you weigh 200lbs and take 2,267 capsules worth in under a minute, not giving your kidneys a chance to flush out the excess, then yes you will probably die.

Is it anything that 99.9% of us ever have to worry about? Probably not unless you are in that .1% with renal failure, and if so I highly doubt you are mixing up your own electrolyte drinks.


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

more guys like you and me suffer ill effects from too little potassium than too much. not a real risk of overdosing for anyone capable of riding a bike, sweating, and peeing.


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## random walk (Jan 12, 2010)

I played around with the numbers this weekend and came out with this recipe:

1 part Lo Salt*
3 parts Morton coarse Kosher salt**

This gives a ratio of about 3.6:1 Sodium (Na) to Potassium (K), the same amount of Na & K in a Nuun tablet and close to what you get in a SaltStick tablet (3.4:1). From this mix, 1/16 tsp (a pinch) will give you the same Na & K content as one Nuun tablet (360 mg Na, 100 mg K). This is the amount I try to consume per hour of moderate activity.

* per 1/4 tsp - 170 mg Na, 450 mg K
** per 1/4 tsp - 490 mg Na; Morton's fine sea salt has 560 mg per 1/4 tsp.


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## Zachua (Jan 21, 2008)

how are you guys dissolving the salt and other granulated ingredients into your water? last time I tried it I had to get the water real hot to make sure everything dissolved! 

is this correct way to make these drinks?


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

Give it a really good shake every five minutes. It will all have dissolved by the third time you shake it, if not sooner. A huge amount of salt and sugar (maltodextrin, dextrose, honey, brown rice syrup, etc) will dissolve in water.


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## jeffscott (May 10, 2006)

Bill in Houston said:


> more guys like you and me suffer ill effects from too little potassium than too much. not a real risk of overdosing for anyone capable of riding a bike, sweating, and peeing.


Ha I actually run a high Potassium in my blood...no idea why...

but I get called back every now and then after some blood work to check a high potassium level.


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## random walk (Jan 12, 2010)

Bill in Houston said:


> Give it a really good shake every five minutes. It will all have dissolved by the third time you shake it, if not sooner. A huge amount of salt and sugar (maltodextrin, dextrose, honey, brown rice syrup, etc) will dissolve in water.


Agree with that. It doesn't work as well if the water is cold, though -- in other words, refrigerate after mixing, don't start with chilled water.

I've diluted a half-cup of malto in an 8-oz. plastic water bottle with far less than 8 oz. of water. It took a lot of shaking, but now I have a homebrew energy gel flask, of sorts.

I think for the electrolyte potion, I'll mix up a concentrated batch to store in the fridge and dilute it into bike bottles as I go. Maybe throw in a squirt of fruit juice for flavoring so it doesn't taste like I'm drinking my own sweat.


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## rjx (Apr 16, 2011)

I'm thinking of doing this

100 servings of electrolytes for $12.99
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/nutr...-veggie-caps/nq-7090&activateTab=reviews#tabs

I'll just pour the contents of an electrolytes capsule or two into a bottle of water and essentially get the same benefits of the Nuun tabs w/o the flavoring and added price.

So 100 servings = $12.99 VS 96 servings of Nuun = $41.40

And I could also buy a jug of Carbo Gain for carbs.
NOW Carbo Gain at Bodybuilding.com: Lowest Prices for Carbo Gain


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## salimoneus (Oct 12, 2004)

Seems promising. When I was looking around I could not find any complete caps like those at my local shops. The Vitamin C probably adds to the cost a bit and isn't really necessary, but certainly can't hurt. Having each serving in a cap like that would also make it easier to carry around extras. Good find!


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