Health&Nutrition

NUTRITION Q+A: Sports Drink Mixology

March 25, 2010
By Bobbi Barbarich, MSc RD

Tax time probably has you examining your budget. Sports drinks are a convenient way to recharge your energy and electrolytes on the run, but the costs can add up. Making your own sports drink may not only save you dollars, it could also help you adapt a drink to match your own needs.

Getting your nutrient intake consistent is as important as choosing your socks during training; you don’t want to try something new on race day. Spring is a good time to experiment with different carbohydrate concentrations and sources - and to think about saving some money for your next race registration.

The vast majority of researchers agree that the optimal concentration of carbohydrates in a sports drink is about 6 per cent, which speeds water absorption into cells even faster than water alone and gives you energy on demand. A leading manufacturer’s formulation, widely accepted as the standard, is as follows (per 240 mL):

.        14 g carbohydrate (5.8 per cent)

.        110 mg sodium

.        30 mg potassium

To make your own, try the following:

.        1 litre water

.        2.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda

.        2.5 g (1/2 teaspoon) table salt

.        1.25 g (1/4 teaspoon) potassium-based salt substitute

.        60 g (4 tablespoons) carbohydrate (sugar)

.        Sugar-free flavour packet to taste

Sugar has a high glycemic index and is absorbed quickly - an important and desired function while running. The performance benefit of lower glycemic index carbs, made of glucose polymers that are absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream, isn’t yet defined. There may be no benefit at all. Yet you can experiment on your own. Substitute the sugar in this recipe with equal amounts of agave nectar/syrup or brown rice syrup and see if it affects your energy differently than sugar.

The concentration in this recipe is 6 per cent. Do not change the carbohydrate concentration to any higher than 8 per cent. At levels beyond this, you will actually impede absorption and risk suffering from diarrhea. To find the concentration of your drink, divide the liquid volume by grams of carb and multiply by 100. Example: 14 g / 240 mL x 100 = 5.8 per cent.

Happy drinking.