Refuel with Homemade Electrolyte Drinks

July 25, 2011 By Leanne Vogel July 15, 2015

Do you remember the first time you drank Gatorade? I do! I was at a track and field meet. After the race, my coach passed me a bottle of Gatorade and told me to drink it to avoid feeling sick. The neon color should have been enough to raise a red flag, but I drank it anyway. 5 minutes later I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. Sugar overload! I could feel the food coloring coursing through my veins. Fast forward 13 years and I’ve been hitting a wall on my long runs which would generally require Gatorade. What is a girl to do? Make her own electrolyte drink, yaaaaay! My go to electrolyte drink has:

• Ultima replenisher
  • Loaded with all 8 electrolytes, not just salt like Gatorade [check out their comparison chart]!
  • 0 sugar, so you wont get cramping or sugar spikes
  • Vegan + gluten free
• Coconut water
  • Has the same electrolyte balance as human blood
  • Naturally packed with more potassium than a banana
  • I carry the packets with me when I’m on the go, but you can also crack open your own coconut and use fresh water!

I combine 1/4 teaspoon of each powder in my two 10oz. running bottles and I’m set. I can’t believe what a difference electrolytes can do for my running pace! If you can’t find Ultima replenisher at your local health food store or, want to try making your electrolyte drink from 100% whole foods, try some of these combos:

Plain and Simple

• 1 cup filtered water
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan rock salt

Veggie Power

• 1 cup vegetable juice
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan rock salt
• pinch stevia

Lemonade Twist

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 orange, juiced
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan rock salt

For more information on Himalayan rock salt and why it’s far superior to table and sea salts; especially in an electrolyte drink, check out this post. Happy running… and other things that make you sweat!

This entry was tagged: coconut water, lemon, race preparation, running