Cranberry Orange Sports Drink

Commercial sports drinks are great in a pinch, but why not make your own from scratch when you can? Homemade sports drinks are good for the wallet and allow you to control the ingredients.

Sports drinks are a good choice for exercise lasting longer than an hour. They are also great for preparation and recovery on hot days. When the temperature rises, sports drinks can help prevent heat illness in active children and adults by improving voluntary fluid intake.

Many sports drinks are designed for hydration and refueling the working muscles with carbohydrates at a level of 6-8% (6 g per 100 ml fluid) for optimal absorption. Sports drinks are typically a mix of water, carbohydrates and salt, but may contain other electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, and even amino acids.

To make your own mixture, dilute fruit juice to provide about 50 calories per cup and add about ¼ teaspoon salt per litre of liquid. Try the following refreshing recipe to inspire your own creations!

Makes 3 cups

Ingredients

½ cup Cranberry cocktail
1 cup Orange juice
1 ½ cup Water
¼ teaspoon Salt

Directions

• Pour all of the ingredients into a pitcher.
• Stir to dissolve salt.
• Chill and serve.

Nutrient Profile/ 250 ml Serving (1 c) Sports Drink

56 calories
14 g carbohydrate (6%)
26 mg sodium
300 mg potassium

Enjoy! Gazelle Nutrition Lab Kitchen