Do-It-Yourself Sports Drink

                                            

   By:  Coach Maria - Salus Nutritionist & Food Expert

 

Sports drinks were originally designed to quickly replenish essential energy depleted by rigorous exercise (Gatorade was first created for the Florida Gators football team!).

When you perform a rigorous workout, especially for long durations or in high temperatures, you deplete glycogen in your body (stored energy).  Replenishing the glycogen stores becomes important in order to recover muscles from the rigorous workout and also to re-fuel for your next workout.

 

The problem with many sports drinks, is that they contain plenty of sugar, calories and artificial flavors and colorings.  More and more adults and children are relying on them for hydration, even when they are not involved in some form of rigorous exercise.  Putting all those sugars and calories into our bodies when we are not using them for exercise recovery, will inevitably turn into fat/weight gain.

 

You don't have to rely on bottled sports drinks full of sweeteners, artificial flavors and colors.  Below is an easy do-it-yourself sports drink that not only tastes good and will replenish depleted sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium and other nutrients, but it will save you money as well!

 

Ingredients

1 serving

 

4 c warm water

juice of 1 lemon

2 tsp raw honey

1/4 tsp salt

 

Mix well. Chill. Serve.