Sports drinks like Gatorade or Power Aid are designed to replenish the water and salt your body loses when you are active or exercising. You can mix up your own powdered mix to accomplish this for a fraction of the cost of purchasing these drinks by the bottle.
The sugar and flavoring in this mix break the monotony of drinking plain water and might encourage you to drink more. The salt helps prevent low blood sodium. Don’t increase the proportions of sugar and salt in the recipe though. Too much sugar and salt will slow the absorption of the water and will put an additional load on your system.
Powdered Sports Drink
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoons table sugar
- 3/8 teaspoon table salt
- 1 packet unsweetened Kool Aid
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients thouroughly
- Divide the mixture into each of three Ziploc bags.
- When ready to use, add contents of one bag to a 20 ounce bottle.
- Fill about halfway with water.
- Close tightly and shake until well to mix.
- Fill the bottle the rest of the way up with water or with water and two or three ice cubes and shake again. (The ice should melt.)
Cub Scout Tiger Program: Tiger Elective 29 - Safety in the Sun, Tiger Elective 35 - Fun Outdoors, Tiger Elective 37 - Take a Bicycle Ride
Cub Scout Wolf Program: Wolf Elective 20 - Sports
Cub Scout Bear Program: Bear Achievement 23 - Sports, Sports, Sports
Cub Scout Webelos Activity Badges: Sportsman Activity Badge
Boy Scout Second Class Rank: Second Class Requirement 1b - Five Mile Hike
Boy Scout Merit Badges: Athletics Merit Badge, Backpacking Merit Badge, Climbing Merit Badge, Cycling Merit Badge, First Aid Merit Badge, Golf Merit Badge, Hiking Merit Badge, Orienteering Merit Badge, Sports Merit Badge
Venturing Bronze Award: Sports Bronze Award
Venturing Ranger Award Electives: Backpacking Ranger Elective, Cycling/Mountain Biking Ranger Elective, First Aid Ranger Elective, Mountaineering Ranger Elective, Physical Fitness Ranger Elective, Project COPE Ranger Elective
Venturing Quest Award Electives: Quest Award Elective - Sports Nutrition
Themes: Aquatics Cub Scout Theme, Cycling Cub Scout Theme, Hiking Cub Scout Theme, Sports Cub Scout Theme, Athletics Troop Program Feature, Backpacking Troop Program Feature, First Aid Troop Program Feature, Hiking Troop Program Feature, Physical Fitness Troop Program Feature, Sports Troop Program Feature
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A long time ago, I remember seeing Martina Navratilova on the Phil Donahue show — she’d transformed her playing career, starting to take nutrition very seriously. This was before “sports drinks” became very popular, and she was asked about them.
I remember her “recipe” because it was so simple. Her drink was made from 2C very cold water, 2 tsp of frozen orange juice concentrate and a pinch of salt. She said her nutritionist designed it for her so that it would have everything she needed.
I find it interesting that the recipe you give above isn’t really all that different. Water, a little bit of sugar and a pinch of salt. I think it might be a little more interesting to use a pinch of potassium (available in salt substitutes).