Author Topic: hydration without expensive sports drinks?  (Read 11562 times)

DeltaBond

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hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« on: June 24, 2016, 06:26:35 AM »
Have any of you found a good way to stay hydrated and replenished for long cardio workouts without using the spendy sports drinks.  Gatorade and powerade are great, but they aren't cheap, and they also have a lot of sugar (and I don't want the artificial sweeteners, either).  I just find myself craving salty foods and needing more of the salts.

I did find this recipe, but I'm curious what others do...

http://everydayroots.com/homemade-energy-drink

plog

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2016, 06:48:09 AM »
Have you tried taking 2 parts hydrogen, 1 part oxygen, molecularly bonding them and then drinking?

Seriously, if a 'long cardio workout' is less than the equivalent exertion done during a half marathon, you don't need anything but water.  If more than that, then what you should be concerned with is replacing calories and the best way to do that is by actually eating (handful of nuts, oats, candy bar). 
« Last Edit: June 24, 2016, 06:50:38 AM by plog »

GuitarStv

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #2 on: June 24, 2016, 06:51:35 AM »
I started going on longer bike rides a couple years ago.  If I don't get enough salt with my water over a four or five hour bike ride in hot weather all kinds of weird things happen . . . headaches, dizzyness, nausea, etc.

For a 750 mL water bottle:
- tiny pinch of table salt
- 2-3 tablespoons of that reallime lime juice (I just like lime better than lemon, and it's a PITA to juice stuff when you're in a hurry)
- 1-2 tablespoons of sugar

Pretty much any fruit juice will work fine as an energy drink, just add a small pinch of salt.

One note of caution though . . . wash your water bottles out regularly if you're putting juice in them.  A bottle can be used for a couple months with just water before it starts to get algae and mold growing on it.  With fruit juice you are probably growing mold after the second ride.

GuitarStv

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #3 on: June 24, 2016, 06:55:32 AM »
Have you tried taking 2 parts hydrogen, 1 part oxygen, molecularly bonding them and then drinking?

Seriously, if a 'long cardio workout' is less than the equivalent exertion done during a half marathon, you don't need anything but water.  If more than that, then what you should be concerned with is replacing calories and the best way to do that is by actually eating (handful of nuts, oats, candy bar).

Yeah, that's what I used to think as well, but it's really not true.  In hot weather if you're exercising and sweating hard for anything over three hours just drinking water will make you feel sick.  I have plenty of solid foods on a long bike ride . . . nuts are a bad choice though, they tend to sit in the bottom of my stomach and make me uncomfy.  Fast digesting sugary stuff like bananas, dates, gummy bears and the like seem to work better.

FLBiker

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2016, 06:59:15 AM »
Switchel! :)

1 gallon water
1 1/2 cups molasses
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (ground)

onlykelsey

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2016, 07:01:34 AM »
When I was marathon training in Texas, I tried a couple different relatively low-cost options.  One is to carry salt tablets and swallow them (like a pill) with your water.  It takes playing with timing and dosage, but is very cheap, doesn't add any weird taste, is not messy, etc.  A more complex solution would also include potassium, magnesium and calcium, and not just sodium.  When I was trail running, I would take salt tablets and loop back for a banana every hour or so as my go-to cheap solution. 

I've also had decent success with nuun (http://store.feedthemachine.com/p-106-nuun-active-hydration-1-tube-10-tablets.aspx?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=ShoppingFeed&utm_term=PLAs&utm_content=AllProducts&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=CJ6-hK7bwM0CFYdehgod018PlQ#tab1) , which have all four electrolytes.  You can make it as strong or as weak as you want, and although the water is sticky, the tablets come in a little waterproof clean cannister.  It's not the ultimate budget answer, but if you order a set of 24 tubes (10 tablets each), I think it works out to about $0.35 a tablet, which was reasonable to me.   They're only useful if you don't need calories (or will mix them in something with calories).

I've played with salted molasses water, but I really, really was not motivated enough to save $.10 a run by drinking that shit.  I pretty inevitably threw it back up when I swallowed it. YMMV.

I think women are particularly sensitive to salt issues, maybe because we carry more water generally?  I've had some weird experiences in 100+ running where all my extremities and knees would swell up like sausages if I didn't strike the right salt v. water balance. Not sure if that's applicable here, but that's my anecdotal experience.

DeltaBond

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2016, 07:11:02 AM »
Have you tried taking 2 parts hydrogen, 1 part oxygen, molecularly bonding them and then drinking?

Seriously, if a 'long cardio workout' is less than the equivalent exertion done during a half marathon, you don't need anything but water.  If more than that, then what you should be concerned with is replacing calories and the best way to do that is by actually eating (handful of nuts, oats, candy bar).

Yeah, that's what I used to think as well, but it's really not true.  In hot weather if you're exercising and sweating hard for anything over three hours just drinking water will make you feel sick.  I have plenty of solid foods on a long bike ride . . . nuts are a bad choice though, they tend to sit in the bottom of my stomach and make me uncomfy.  Fast digesting sugary stuff like bananas, dates, gummy bears and the like seem to work better.

Thank you for responding to that.  My doctor explained the "low sodium" advice they tend to give out is for people who don't work out and sweat at all. 

Electrolytes are crucial - I'll try the pinch of salt to diluted fruit juice.  I've thankfully gotten far enough away from sweets that leaving out the cane sugar is ok for my taste buds.

And thank you onlykelsey, I will look into that!  Cheap is one thing, effective is another.  People forget about the different nutrients we use up when we work up a sweat for a long period of time.  When you don't have a lot of body fat, it gets to be a real balancing act to keep it all functioning smoothly!

onlykelsey

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2016, 07:18:13 AM »
Have you tried taking 2 parts hydrogen, 1 part oxygen, molecularly bonding them and then drinking?

Seriously, if a 'long cardio workout' is less than the equivalent exertion done during a half marathon, you don't need anything but water.  If more than that, then what you should be concerned with is replacing calories and the best way to do that is by actually eating (handful of nuts, oats, candy bar).

Yeah, that's what I used to think as well, but it's really not true.  In hot weather if you're exercising and sweating hard for anything over three hours just drinking water will make you feel sick.  I have plenty of solid foods on a long bike ride . . . nuts are a bad choice though, they tend to sit in the bottom of my stomach and make me uncomfy.  Fast digesting sugary stuff like bananas, dates, gummy bears and the like seem to work better.

Thank you for responding to that.  My doctor explained the "low sodium" advice they tend to give out is for people who don't work out and sweat at all. 

Electrolytes are crucial - I'll try the pinch of salt to diluted fruit juice.  I've thankfully gotten far enough away from sweets that leaving out the cane sugar is ok for my taste buds.

And thank you onlykelsey, I will look into that!  Cheap is one thing, effective is another.  People forget about the different nutrients we use up when we work up a sweat for a long period of time.  When you don't have a lot of body fat, it gets to be a real balancing act to keep it all functioning smoothly!

Agreed.  I think petite people are also more susceptible to salt imbalances in heat, again based on my experience trail and road running in central Texas and elsewhere.  Now that I'm pregnant and running in the summer, I'm carrying store-bought gels (have enough salt for less than two hour runs) and will happily spend money on sports drinks or whatever else.  Especially if you're out alone/on a trail/pregnant/etc, cutting corners to save $1.50 a week is penny wise, pound foolish at best.

If the pinch of salt doesn't work for you, start looking for something that will provide some of the other electrolytes (like, gag, molasses, or maybe half a store-produced nuun tablet).

DeltaBond

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2016, 07:26:57 AM »
Thank you, I'll look into that.  In addition to that recipe I linked to above, I use half the salt it recommends, which maybe isn't wise for me... but I also started adding this:

https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Vitality-Calcium-Magnesium-Raspbery/dp/B003I4P3JS/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1466774724&sr=1-4&keywords=natural+calm

GuitarStv

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #9 on: June 24, 2016, 07:27:08 AM »
I mentioned them before, but dried apricots, dates, raisins, and bananas are all pretty high in potassium . . . so good foods to eat during a long exercise session if you're worried about electrolytes.

onlykelsey

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #10 on: June 24, 2016, 07:32:13 AM »
I mentioned them before, but dried apricots, dates, raisins, and bananas are all pretty high in potassium . . . so good foods to eat during a long exercise session if you're worried about electrolytes.

Raisins are a great idea.  I only used bananas on runs where I looped back past my car because of the mechanics of carrying them, but raisins would be easy.  Although I'm not sure about the gastro effects of eating those when you're already doing lots of cardio...

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #11 on: June 24, 2016, 07:42:07 AM »
Disclaimer:  The info below is how we treated the topic in the Army.  The military usually phrases things in ways that are scientifically inaccurate, but the policies and rules of thumb end up being highly effective.  I know from personal experience that the below works from a health & physical exertion standpoint, but the reasoning may not be 100%.

Electrolytes are just a fancy word for salts.  Nothing more.  You will naturally replenish them by eating normal, regular food.  The ONLY time you end up with electrolyte problems is when you literally sweat all of them out of your body.  Just being low on them has no impact whatsoever.  The desire to eat salty food at the end of a workout means your body is doing what it's supposed to and asking to be replenished.

If your body truly ran out of electrolytes to the point of being a health issue, you would be in massive pain.  You would know it.

The rule of thumb on whether you're sweating enough to justify adding electrolytes is whether you're drinking more than 1qt of water each hour.  If you're drinking more than this while exercising, you should do something to supplement the electrolytes.  Less than this, and you can just handle it via your normal diet.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2016, 07:45:57 AM »
I mentioned them before, but dried apricots, dates, raisins, and bananas are all pretty high in potassium . . . so good foods to eat during a long exercise session if you're worried about electrolytes.

Raisins are a great idea.  I only used bananas on runs where I looped back past my car because of the mechanics of carrying them, but raisins would be easy.  Although I'm not sure about the gastro effects of eating those when you're already doing lots of cardio...

I dunno about running, but when cycling you can easily carry three or four large bananas in each jersey pocket with no problems.  (My protip is to make a small cut on the stem of each banana pre-ride so that you're not yanking away on an uncooperative banana while cycling no handed through a crosswind.)  If they're very ripe they seem to be easier on the tummy than when they're still slightly green.

DeltaBond

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #13 on: June 24, 2016, 08:20:42 AM »
Thankfully, there are pretty clear signs before being in massive pain.  This question is from my point of having those signs and needing the salts, and no, regular food isn't something you can wolf down all day every day.  I was in the army and life outside of the military is vastly different as far as amount of physical exertion and mroe realistic food intake.  I miss the army.

Daley

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #14 on: June 24, 2016, 08:29:57 AM »
I use a slightly tweaked variation of the oral rehydration solution from here, that I'll make up in bulk dry and use for bike rides and lawnmowing, and the stuff works a treat. Their recipe is a dumbed down version of the WHO-ORS.

Their base ingredient list is: 1 liter water, 6 level teaspoons sugar, 1/2 level teaspoon salt.

Using a little basic kitchen chemistry, I try to do a quick and dirty replication of the actual WHO-ORS recipe that's just a touch saltier. My tweaks? Well, I make up four liter/one gallon batches of dry powder using the following ingredients:

-12tsp (60ml) glucose (easiest found in baking supplies and health food stores as dextrose, they're the same thing - subbing out more sucrose or table sugar [twice the amount, 24tsp or 120ml] is fine if the price of dextrose is putting you off)
-2.5tsp (12.5ml) pink Himalayan salt or Celtic Sea salt (mostly just sodium with trace minerals - table salt is fine)
-1.5tsp (7.5ml) potassium chloride (sold as a sodium free salt substitute in the salt/spices aisles at grocery stores)
-1 dry packet Aldi Mixade unsweetened lemonade (mostly for the citric acid, but also for the flavoring - I use Aldi instead of Kool-Aid or Flavorade brands due to their using turmeric as the coloring agent instead of artificial dyes, but all three are mostly citric acid and will do in a pinch - you cannot use other flavors, because we need the citric acid for the sodium citrate)

Mix the powder THOROUGHLY. Mix it AGAIN every time you use some.

GLUCOSE MIX: Four very slightly rounded teaspoons of the powder will make up one liter of oral rehydration drink.

SUCROSE MIX: Two very slightly rounded tablespoons of the powder will make up one liter of oral rehydration drink.

I personally usually use a one quart Gatorade bottle (mostly for the mouth size of the bottle to pour the powder in), rendering the mix a touch stronger.

The stuff works out to roughly one buck worth of ingredients or so per gallon for the mix using glucose. It's a bit cheaper if you go sucrose, but your gut has to do more work to get the necessary glucose to facilitate salt uptake, and the mix comes across a bit sweeter. Like I said, the stuff works a treat, too. Less sweet than Gatorade, far more effective.



(My protip is to make a small cut on the stem of each banana pre-ride so that you're not yanking away on an uncooperative banana while cycling no handed through a crosswind.)

Sometimes, animals are way more clever than us humans, so my protip in response to this is to watch how most chimpanzees eat bananas. They're not idiots like us humans who try to start peeling the banana from the stem side, and instead peel from the bottom. That little brown bulls-eye at the end breaks apart easy with a little squeeze and peels much faster than trying to break the skin by the stem, and this realization will change how you eat bananas forever.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2016, 08:43:40 AM by I.P. Daley »

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2016, 09:57:05 AM »
For hydration with no calories,
1) Mio or similar 'water enhancer' to taste
2) Morton Lite Salt (about 50/50 potassium/sodium)
3) tap water

Been using this for years. Biking this week 15mi r/t to work in 100-110F heat index. No cramps, no worries.

onlykelsey

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #16 on: June 24, 2016, 10:00:29 AM »
For hydration with no calories,
1) Mio or similar 'water enhancer' to taste
2) Morton Lite Salt (about 50/50 potassium/sodium)
3) tap water

Been using this for years. Biking this week 15mi r/t to work in 100-110F heat index. No cramps, no worries.

2. is brilliant.

Daley

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2016, 10:26:44 AM »
For hydration with no calories,
1) Mio or similar 'water enhancer' to taste
2) Morton Lite Salt (about 50/50 potassium/sodium)
3) tap water

Been using this for years. Biking this week 15mi r/t to work in 100-110F heat index. No cramps, no worries.

2. is brilliant.

It works as a quick and dirty for healthy people, but a 50/50 probably shouldn't be done for folks with any kidney or heart issues, especially given the increase in serum potassium levels during exercise. A 67/33 or 75/25 sodium/potassium mix is a bit more ideal.

jamesbond007

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #18 on: June 24, 2016, 10:48:17 AM »
What's wrong with good old water? I biked the northern CA Bike MS century along the northern california coast last year with nothing but water and nuts. If you are the type that loses salts and minerals quickly, then don't mix salt in the water you'll retain way too much water. Get this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EISFBYA/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1466786798&sr=sr-1&keywords=electrolytes and thank me later.

Daley

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #19 on: June 24, 2016, 11:45:08 AM »
What's wrong with good old water? I biked the northern CA Bike MS century along the northern california coast last year with nothing but water and nuts. If you are the type that loses salts and minerals quickly, then don't mix salt in the water you'll retain way too much water. Get this: [a link to an electrolyte compound] and thank me later.

What do you even think electrolytes are in the first place?

They're SALTS. Part of their purpose in hydration is to help retain the water to rehydrate the body.

Sodium, potassium, magnesium and sodium citrates are the bulk of the ingredients in what you linked. The very things mentioned by some as additives to water in reasonable quantities. Your electrolyte bottle has maybe 50¢ worth of salts dissolved in water for $16 plus shipping.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2016, 11:55:23 AM »
If you're putting lime juice in the drink, make sure to wash your hands or anywhere it sprays very well. It can make skin super photosensitive and cause blisters/burns in the sun, as can celery juice.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #21 on: June 24, 2016, 12:09:44 PM »
What's wrong with good old water? I biked the northern CA Bike MS century along the northern california coast last year with nothing but water and nuts. If you are the type that loses salts and minerals quickly, then don't mix salt in the water you'll retain way too much water. Get this: [a link to an electrolyte compound] and thank me later.

What do you even think electrolytes are in the first place?

They're SALTS. Part of their purpose in hydration is to help retain the water to rehydrate the body.

Sodium, potassium, magnesium and sodium citrates are the bulk of the ingredients in what you linked. The very things mentioned by some as additives to water in reasonable quantities. Your electrolyte bottle has maybe 50¢ worth of salts dissolved in water for $16 plus shipping.

Sure. But I was referring to common salt (Sodium Chloride) when I mentioned salt. It is very easy to out in a lot more than necessary sometimes and it's actually bad. That's why these portioned quantities are helpful. I understand the biology you are referring to.

Daley

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #22 on: June 24, 2016, 12:35:50 PM »
Sure. But I was referring to common salt (Sodium Chloride) when I mentioned salt. It is very easy to out in a lot more than necessary sometimes and it's actually bad. That's why these portioned quantities are helpful. I understand the biology you are referring to.

Yes, but all salts in major quantities cause problems, and nobody here is advocating eating half a salt lick with a cup of water.

Of all the salts, straight sodium chloride is probably the safest and most effective as a single note electrolyte replacement in a pinch. Most doctors and the WHO are of a similar mind, which is why they recommend the 6tsp refined sugar, 1/2tsp table salt, 1 liter water hydration therapy recipe when the balanced stuff isn't available... and the balanced stuff is really cheap and easy to replicate if you know what's in it and the proportions needed.

You'll also note the inclusion of sugar there. Sugar is kind of necessary to help with the salt uptake. If you just put electrolytes in water without a touch of sugar, you're mostly just going to piss back out that dose of $16 seawater.

DeltaBond

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #23 on: June 24, 2016, 12:43:44 PM »
Right now for the sugar part, I'm squeezing 2 oranges, half a lemon, in half gallon of water, with 1/8 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp magnesium/calcium supplement.  That's still fructose, hopefully that's good enough, but I'm not sure.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #24 on: June 24, 2016, 08:51:57 PM »
My husband landed in same day surgery a couple of years ago to have gigantic kidney stones removed.  He got the usual song and dance about hydrating carefully, eating less salt, and eating a low oxalate diet.  Tests revealed that his urine stream retains a high concentration of sodium, even though he drinks quite a bit of water and those same tests show that he is not dehydrated.

He's gone through long stretches of running and training (marathon) and thinks that consumption of sports drinks with electrolytes (sodium) may have contributed to his problems.  So, another argument against gatorade.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #25 on: June 24, 2016, 10:24:22 PM »
I use a slightly tweaked variation of the oral rehydration solution from here, that I'll make up in bulk dry and use for bike rides and lawnmowing, and the stuff works a treat. Their recipe is a dumbed down version of the WHO-ORS.


Strong +1 to this.  This was approximately the recipe we taught as part of our winter mountaineering courses aimed at students on a budget.  It's backed by science, effective, and cheap.

Also useful when you or your kid is vomiting or has diarrhea.  It's roughly the same as pedialyte.  I go more heavy on the glucose for workouts than the WHO's version (which is aimed at diarrhea), but don't do that for sick kids.  The WHO version tastes like crap when you're healthy, but it's awesome when you're dehydrated. :)
« Last Edit: June 25, 2016, 06:14:10 PM by csprof »

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #26 on: June 24, 2016, 10:50:24 PM »
I use a slightly tweaked variation of the oral rehydration solution from here, that I'll make up in bulk dry and use for bike rides and lawnmowing, and the stuff works a treat. Their recipe is a dumbed down version of the WHO-ORS.


Strong +1 to this.  This was approximately the recipe we taught as part of our winter mountaineering courses aimed at students on a budget.  It's backed by science, effective, and cheap.

Also useful when you or your kids is vomiting or has diarrhea.  It's roughly the same as pedialyte.  I go more heavy on the glucose for workouts than the WHO's version (which is aimed at diarrhea), but don't do that for sick kids.  The WHO version tastes like crap when you're healthy, but it's awesome when you're dehydrated. :)

Lots of agreement to these 2 posts. I've spent some time in places with terrible sanitation, and I've pulled dehydrated, staving people off drifting rafts. The WHO oral rehydration solution does amazing things for half-dead people. I'm sure it will work a treat for people indulging in long period exercise.

It also makes you feel better if you have a hangover. FYI. Doesn't hurt to add a hit off the O2 bottle, either.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #27 on: June 25, 2016, 02:39:46 PM »
Nuun tabs are a lot cheaper and better for you than the sugary drinks. Source, I ran 106 mile Rae through the Colorado Rockies. Disclaimer: 3 miles were getting lost. In all seriousness I do extensive endurance training and swear by these things. Some other friends in the ultra scene also love tailwind... I just haven't had a chance to try it out yet. From time to time nuun goes on super sale and I stock up like crazy. Hope this helps!

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #28 on: June 26, 2016, 02:02:22 PM »
Had a guy tell me one time that Pickle Juice is a poor man's Gatorade.

No, but seriously.  Drink water.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #29 on: June 26, 2016, 02:16:04 PM »
Had a guy tell me one time that Pickle Juice is a poor man's Gatorade.

I've used pickles and/or pickle juice to reduce cramps.  On hot weather days for our annual century ride, we provide pickles at the rest stops.

Quote
No, but seriously.  Drink water.

Yeah, my preference for the ultra events has always been to keep my fluids (water) and electrolytes separate, so I can titrate as needed.  You'll get tired of the taste of sweetened beverages, whereas as plain water is neutral.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #30 on: June 26, 2016, 07:12:28 PM »
Had a guy tell me one time that Pickle Juice is a poor man's Gatorade.

I drink pickle juice when I've done high intensity workouts and need a boost. I make my own pickles so I know what's in it. I use it for pickling eggs and drinking. Reusing is big in my house.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #31 on: June 27, 2016, 12:08:09 PM »
Nuun tabs are a lot cheaper and better for you than the sugary drinks. Source, I ran 106 mile Rae through the Colorado Rockies. Disclaimer: 3 miles were getting lost. In all seriousness I do extensive endurance training and swear by these things. Some other friends in the ultra scene also love tailwind... I just haven't had a chance to try it out yet. From time to time nuun goes on super sale and I stock up like crazy. Hope this helps!

+1 for nuun, although where are you getting them that they are cheap? I pay about $6 for 10 tabs... I suppose not as much as Gatorade (but more than gatorade powder). Seriously, if you have a cheap source for nuun, I'd love to know! They're the only way I get through the day without a headache after a tough workout.

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #32 on: June 27, 2016, 12:57:34 PM »
For those of you that use glucose and sucrose in your drinks, ever consider using honey?  Honey is made of glucose and fructose, but not bound into a disaccharide like sucrose.  Sucrose is a disaccharide comprised of glucose and fructose- I believe the monosaccharides in honey are a little easier for your body to digest and use than sucrose.  Plus you don't need to get to a specialty baking store or wherever you need to go to find dextrose/glucose.

Daley

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #33 on: June 27, 2016, 01:03:38 PM »
For those of you that use glucose and sucrose in your drinks, ever consider using honey?

Two things:

1) Honey is more expensive than dextrose.
2) Honey isn't a dry powder.

It's not that honey can't be a perfectly serviceable substitution for the sweeter end of a DIY hydration drink. It's just that it's expensive, and complicates not only the simplicity of the recipe, but storage and reconstitution of the concentrate being made up in bulk as well.

pbkmaine

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #34 on: June 27, 2016, 01:26:05 PM »
I live in a hot climate (Florida) and there's one drink that does it for me when I am hot, sweaty, tired and dehydrated. Regular Coke. I don't have it very often (3 or 4 times a year), but it always works.

onlykelsey

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #35 on: June 27, 2016, 03:28:41 PM »
Had a guy tell me one time that Pickle Juice is a poor man's Gatorade.

I drink pickle juice when I've done high intensity workouts and need a boost. I make my own pickles so I know what's in it. I use it for pickling eggs and drinking. Reusing is big in my house.

When I ran a marathon in Finland, all the water/food stops had pickles, rye bread, and other things I would not generally associate with running.  But it makes sense!

calimom

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #36 on: June 27, 2016, 03:38:35 PM »
I like SPORTea. It has a lot of good stuff, no bad stuff and no sugar, though I do add honey when I make a pitcher of it. On their website, they're offering new customers a 2 for the price of 1 deal.

Summers are pretty hot where I live, and I drink a lot of water (free!), sometimes you just need a little something else after a hard lap swim or gardening session. I box for $9.50, which makes gallons and gallons, lasts me for a couple of months usually.

onlykelsey

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #37 on: June 27, 2016, 03:48:27 PM »
Slightly off topic, but I was attributing my "slog" feeling during recent runs to pregnancy, and I dusted off an old HALF of a nuun tablet and a hammer gel (from a marathon I ran in 2012) this weekend, and flew through a nine-mile run in the heat.  This was a good reminder that this stuff matters!

MicroRN

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #38 on: June 28, 2016, 07:19:04 PM »
I use a slightly tweaked variation of the oral rehydration solution from here, that I'll make up in bulk dry and use for bike rides and lawnmowing, and the stuff works a treat. Their recipe is a dumbed down version of the WHO-ORS.


We make something similar.  My touchstone is - if it tastes good, I probably need it.  If I take a sip and go ick, I don't.  Post-norovirus, I think I sucked down 3 quarts over a few hours, and I went from feeling like I was about to die to feeling almost normal.  I've also used it when doing physical labor in the heat, and it makes a big difference.     

Jaguar Paw

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #39 on: June 30, 2016, 12:12:27 PM »
Nuun tabs are a lot cheaper and better for you than the sugary drinks. Source, I ran 106 mile Rae through the Colorado Rockies. Disclaimer: 3 miles were getting lost. In all seriousness I do extensive endurance training and swear by these things. Some other friends in the ultra scene also love tailwind... I just haven't had a chance to try it out yet. From time to time nuun goes on super sale and I stock up like crazy. Hope this helps!

+1 for nuun, although where are you getting them that they are cheap? I pay about $6 for 10 tabs... I suppose not as much as Gatorade (but more than gatorade powder). Seriously, if you have a cheap source for nuun, I'd love to know! They're the only way I get through the day without a headache after a tough workout.

I load up whenever they go on sale. Sprouts supermarket just had a buy one get one free deal on them.. I spent $100 bucks on tabs and would have gotten more had they been on the rack. $6 for 20 tabs.. my rough math is 30 cents or so per drink. wayyyy under gatorade!. Nuun website also has some pretty nutty closeout sales from time to time.  Happy hunting!

onlykelsey

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #40 on: June 30, 2016, 12:13:40 PM »
Nuun tabs are a lot cheaper and better for you than the sugary drinks. Source, I ran 106 mile Rae through the Colorado Rockies. Disclaimer: 3 miles were getting lost. In all seriousness I do extensive endurance training and swear by these things. Some other friends in the ultra scene also love tailwind... I just haven't had a chance to try it out yet. From time to time nuun goes on super sale and I stock up like crazy. Hope this helps!

+1 for nuun, although where are you getting them that they are cheap? I pay about $6 for 10 tabs... I suppose not as much as Gatorade (but more than gatorade powder). Seriously, if you have a cheap source for nuun, I'd love to know! They're the only way I get through the day without a headache after a tough workout.

I load up whenever they go on sale. Sprouts supermarket just had a buy one get one free deal on them.. I spent $100 bucks on tabs and would have gotten more had they been on the rack. $6 for 20 tabs.. my rough math is 30 cents or so per drink. wayyyy under gatorade!. Nuun website also has some pretty nutty closeout sales from time to time.  Happy hunting!

Runningwarehouse.com, occasionally.  They also pretty much always have a 10% or 15% off coupon floating around the internet, so even full price is a bit better.  It helps not to care about flavors.

LifestyleDeflation

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #41 on: June 30, 2016, 11:08:43 PM »
I've felt much better during high-altitude hiking and consuming there guys: https://www.amazon.com/SaltStick-Electrolyte-Replacement-Capsules-Supplement/dp/B002IY96B0

Sounds like exactly what you're looking for. Cheap, portable, and what Gatorade SHOULD be. The bonus is that you don't even have to mix it with anything-- it's just a pill. Hope that helps!

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Re: hydration without expensive sports drinks?
« Reply #42 on: June 30, 2016, 11:49:06 PM »
Rice cakes with egg and sea salt.

Tour de France riders use them.

Google feed zone portables.