electrolytes, whats your preference?

[Chile Pepper]

I have never liked sports drinks--I don't want the sugar, and I don't use any artificial sweeteners, so NUUN is out as well. I also dislike the taste. I just found a recipe for a homemade alternative, based on lemon juice for potassium plus a pinch of salt:

Just mix together:
1 cup (8 oz) water (not carbonated)
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
small pinch of salt
Flavoring and sweetener to taste

Has anyone tried something like this? I think I'll mix some up for my ride this weekend, maybe with just a bit of honey to smooth it out.

[Susan Otcenas]

I went through FORTY (yes, that's four-zero) bottles of Hammer Perpetuem mixed with Hammer Powdered Endurolytes on Paris-Brest-Paris last month. That accounted for about 1/3 of my calories consumed.

Hammer Products in general seem to have lower electrolyte levels than many other sports nutrition products. Add electrolytes to a hammer nutrition plan via their powdered Endurolytes, the pill-form endurolytes, or the Fizz tablets (similar to Nuun).

Susan

[maillotpois]

Hammer Products in general seem to have lower electrolyte levels than many other sports nutrition products. Add electrolytes to a hammer nutrition plan via their powdered Endurolytes, the pill-form endurolytes, or the Fizz tablets (similar to Nuun).

Susan

I love the Endurolyte Fizz tablets. I simply will not remember or bother to take endurolyte capsules. The fizz is interesting and makes the sports drinks taste better (I combine sustained energy with something like Heed for flavor, but as you noted none of those have much electrolyte).

And forty bottles of liquid nutrition is staggering to think of. Understandable, but staggering.

[OakLeaf]

Hammer Products in general seem to have lower electrolyte levels than many other sports nutrition products.

It drives me crazy that they make you buy (at least) two of their products instead of just one.

And yet ... HEED is so easily available. And it works really well on my stomach.

I like my Zenergize tablets a LOT, but fizzing bicarbonate tablets are a problem in sealed containers like hydration packs and straw/bite valve water bottles. Endurolytes mixed strong in the secondary bladder of my Nathan Synergy pack is a lifesaver (literally) in hot weather marathon training.

DO NOT under any circumstances mix a scoop of Endurolytes into your diluted gel flask. Yecccccccch.

[soprano]

I have never liked sports drinks--I don't want the sugar, and I don't use any artificial sweeteners, so NUUN is out as well.

Put 1/8 tsp lite salt in 1 liter water. Sounds yucky, but if you can taste the salt, you aren't low on electrolytes.

Bananas are my favorite.

[OakLeaf]

But you sweat out sodium MUCH quicker than potassium.

[maryellen]

Another fan of Ultima Replenisher though I like the lemonade flavor

[Chile Pepper]

I tried the homemade electrolyte drink on my rides this weekend. Following Oakleaf's advice, I upped the salt a little and didn't worry about the potassium, so I wound up using the juice of one lemon (two to three tablespoons) and about 1/16th teaspoon salt in my large water bottle. I added about half a tablespoon of honey, which balanced out the flavors and gave a good mouthfeel.

I really liked it! It tasted great, it was practically free (the lemon was from my tree), and it contained no artificial ingredients. Most importantly, I drank it, so my hydration was better than with plain water. I will definitely be using this for my longer rides.

[goldfinch]

So, do you really need anything other than sodium salt? Currently I only take water and a form of sugar and salted walnuts. I throw a bit extra salt on the walnuts. I hate fruity flavored drinks. Are there any electrolyte tablets that have no flavor?

[OakLeaf]

So, do you really need anything other than sodium salt? Currently I only take water and a form of sugar and salted walnuts. I throw a bit extra salt on the walnuts. I hate fruity flavored drinks. Are there any electrolyte tablets that have no flavor?

I need magnesium and probably calcium. YMMV, but a friend of mine carries a whole baggie of Endurolytes capsules and hands them out to anyone who's getting cramps.

I've never heard of unflavored fizzy tablets, but Endurolytes comes in powder form if you'd rather mix something into your water than take a pill. It's a noticeable flavor, and I think the added flavors and sweeteners are mainly to cover the bitter/metallic flavor of the electrolytes.

S-Caps are another popular pill alternative, but I've never tried them.

Obviously we're talking about longer and/or warmer weather efforts here - assuming reasonably good overall nutrition, I don't think it's a worry for anyone until you've replaced a couple of liters or so of water.