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Homemade Electrolyte Drink (With Flavor Options)

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homemade electrolyte drink
Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Homemade Electrolyte Drink (With Flavor Options)

Drinking enough pure clean water is one of the most important things we can do for overall health. In most cases, water alone is wonderful. When there’s hot weather or we’re exercising and sweating though we lose minerals through our sweat. A homemade electrolyte drink can help replenish minerals and remedy electrolyte imbalances.

Do We Really Need Electrolytes?

You may have heard that our bodies are 80% water, but they’re actually 80% salt water.

Plain water doesn’t have high levels of electrolytes. And our body loses a lot of minerals during exercise and hot weather. Adding electrolytes and minerals helps with rehydration after times of high-intensity exercise or lots of sweating. They’re also useful during times of illness if someone has vomiting or diarrhea to maintain fluid balance.

We need electrolytes to maintain healthy blood pressure, for our nervous system, and to prevent muscle cramps. They help move waste through the body and are overall necessary for every function! In a perfect world, we wouldn’t need supplements but electrolyte water and drinks can be very helpful for some.

My Cautionary Tale

This post could also be titled “How to avoid a big hospital charge for IV fluids while on vacation.” Hopefully, you can learn from my mistake on this one.

Years ago I went on vacation and spent days on the beach snorkeling, sailing, and scuba diving.

Normally, if I’m out in the sun I have my own homemade electrolyte drink with me, but this time I’d forgotten some of the ingredients. I figured I would just drink enough water, which worked fine until I had wine for dinner that night, coffee the next morning, and not enough water.

At that point, I noticed I was getting a headache. I started drinking water but the headache got worse and I also started having a rapid pulse, dizziness, and nausea. Even after drinking lots of water I still had dehydration and heat exhaustion symptoms.

This resulted in a trip to the international hospital to get fluids. After the most painful IV of my life with a 12-gauge needle, the fluids were in and I started to feel better!

After several hours of sitting in a hospital getting hydrated with IVs, I couldn’t help but think how much easier, cheaper, and less painful things would have been if I’d remembered my DIY electrolyte drink.

Why Not Regular Sports Electrolyte Drinks?

So why not just drink one of the many store-bought electrolyte drinks available (Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) these days?

Regular sports drinks contain lots of glucose, artificial flavors and colors, and not much nourishment.

I’m all for rehydrating, but are the preservatives, mystery flavors, and artificial dyes really necessary? I know from experience that these ingredients typically make me feel terrible and just aren’t worth it. Now when I need something more than water to hydrate I make my own version.

Natural Sports Electrolyte Drink Recipe

Coconut water is one of the simplest sports drink alternatives and can be used as is. It’s similar in structure to the fluid used in IV rehydration. For this reason, there are rumors it was used during the Pacific War as an IV electrolyte replacement. It makes a pretty good natural electrolyte drink on its own or with a splash of lime juice.

Coconut water is a great source of potassium and sodium and I even used it during labor. The only downside to coconut water is the price. If you want an inexpensive (yet still healthy and tasty) alternative, this recipe is the next best thing.

Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe

You can make this recipe in a variety of ways, but the ratios are the most important part. The base is any healthy liquid of choice and some good options are:

To turn the basic liquid into a sports drink, add some or all of these ingredients:

  • Salt – A high-quality salt adds sodium and other essential minerals. Table salt is pure sodium chloride and doesn’t have trace minerals, but Himalayan or sea salt are great options.
  • Calcium and Magnesium – Adding calcium magnesium powder helps replenish minerals.
  • Juice – Optional but adds sweetness and natural sugars if needed during exertion. Orange juice, lime juice, and fresh lemon juice are some of our favorites and add vitamin C and potassium.
  • Natural Flavors – Add natural flavors like fresh ginger, fresh herbs, or even natural-flavored stevia extracts

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and can easily be made low-carb by omitting the added juice.

Want to Buy it?

Looking for a quick way to have electrolytes on hand, especially during travel? These are my favorite no-junk electrolyte powder drinks.

  • LMNT – I’m a big fan of these flavored electrolyte powder that replaces vital electrolytes lost from sweating. They work amazingly on their own with just water and have different flavors like citrus, grapefruit, or watermelon.
  • Jigsaw Health Electrolyte Supreme – My favorite flavor is the Berry-licious.
homemade electrolyte drink

Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe

Save money and avoid artificial ingredients by making your own homemade natural sports drink recipe with electrolytes. There are endless options to make a flavor you love!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Calories 70kcal
Author Katie Wells

Servings

4 cups

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Brew tea if using, or slightly warm base liquid.
  • Add sea salt and calcium magnesium powder and mix.
  • Add juice and sweetener if using and mix or shake well. A mason jar works well for this.
  • Cool and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • This will last up to four days in the refrigerator, but I prefer to make it as needed.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 70 Calories from Fat 5
% Daily Value*
Fat 0.5g1%
Saturated Fat 0.4g3%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.01g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.02g
Sodium 395mg17%
Potassium 620mg18%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 1IU0%
Vitamin C 28mg34%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

  • My normal recipe includes 1 quart of tea (brewed with red raspberry leaf, alfalfa, nettle, and stevia), ¼ tsp sea salt, 1 tsp calcium magnesium powder, and ¼ cup grape or apple juice.
  • Another easy alternative is mixing vitamin C powder with water, salt, and a little juice.
  • The magnesium in this recipe is 27 mg per serving. Nutrition data was calculated using raw honey, coconut water, and grape juice. The exact nutrients will depend on which ingredients you use. 

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Scott Soerries, MD, Family Physician and Medical Director of SteadyMD. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.

What’s your favorite sports drink? Ever made your own?

This homemade natural electrolyte sports drink recipe is an alternative to store-bought drinks with artificial ingredients and provides vitamins and sodium.

Sources

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

217 responses to “Homemade Electrolyte Drink (With Flavor Options)”

  1. Rachel Thurston Avatar
    Rachel Thurston

    Hi Katie , this recipe looks awesome. Can one treat it basically like water in quantity consumed or is there a maximum daily consumption recommended?

  2. Elaine McFadden Avatar
    Elaine McFadden

    Instead of calcium magnesium powder would suggest using Terramin (on Amazon) powder instead. It has 57 IONIC minerals that came from millions of years of the Colorado taking parts of the mountains along its 1500 million length, pulverizing them to one micron in size (man can’t do this) and then a geo thermal action under them locked strong negative charge. Many comments on Amazon say big for energy booster. Mineral are absorbed like oxygen as in perfect form. Tetra shape creates huge surface area so like giant freight that hauls out the garbage besides leaving pure nutrition, and being anti bacteria, viral, parasitic, and fungal. Helps heal damage from GMOs, pesticides, toxins, radiation.

    1. Ruth Avatar

      This looks like it would be a powerful addition to an electrolyte replacement beverage. How would other bentonite clay products (like Redmond Clay or Yerba Prima Great Plains Bentonite Detox) compare in its mineral properties to Terramin Mega-Mineral Supplement?

  3. Dave Harris Avatar
    Dave Harris

    in terms of sweetner , I wondering if licorice root could be used as a valid sweetner?

    1. Lois Avatar

      Licorice Root will cause your body to excrete potassium. This is not what you want to do.

  4. Lorraine Protz Dowell Avatar
    Lorraine Protz Dowell

    Was wondering if it was alright to add 1/2 tsp. of vitamin C crystals and 1 rounded tbls. of gelatin powder to your sports drink recipe. Would there be any conflicts?

  5. Rose Avatar

    I’m glad to find your site, and you are so informative. I’ve question about your mention red raspberry leaf, since I grow them in the garden, can I just pick the leafs from the plants and brew them with my tea from your recipe?
    Thank you!

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      If they are from red raspberry plants, but I’d dry them first for the best taste…

  6. Imran Yunis Avatar
    Imran Yunis

    What are your thoughts about making a Sole mix (water mixed with himalayan sea salt) first and then adding to this drink instead of putting the salt in directly?
    I’ve seen other receipes on line where the Sole approach is taken but I’m curious if its better to go that route or to just put the salt directly into the drink?

  7. Bryan Johnson Avatar
    Bryan Johnson

    I use Xylitol powder which has 10% of the calories and glycemic load of sugar and it tastes exactly like sugar. It also has the added benefit of killing all the bad bacteria in your mouth and throat.

    1. joey Avatar

      I wondered about that Xylitol thing. it seemed like an ironic thing to boast aboout on a pack of gum

      1. Angela Mullaney Avatar
        Angela Mullaney

        Xylitol is actually a sugar alcohol made by our bodies. It has an incredible use in dental hygiene

    2. Sascha Stallworth Avatar
      Sascha Stallworth

      Xylitol can in fact be extremely bad for your body, even in small doses.
      It causes intestine problems for one, and is deadly to dogs.
      There is so many other natural options to sweeten your drink.

      1. Allie Avatar

        Peter Gillams (Natural Vitality) Natural Calm products are not as healthy as once though. Probably for various reasons, but it literally made my children hyper. Looking deeper the verdict as to why is…. CORN. Citric acid that is in it is made from corn. I contacted the company. And that also makes this supplement dangerous for those intolerant or allergic to corn as well as not being Paleo. And Emergen-C has ascorbic acid which is synthetic and not at all healthy and comes from GMO CORN!! It also made my children super hyper! The Healthy Home Economist has an article about Emergen-C and how to get real vitamin C the healthy way. She does mention a few supplements but we all know from whole food is best! Did you know strawberries have more vitamin C than oranges? Get some organic strawberries and take those instead of pills. You can even grow them yourself! They even sell those upside down hangy things to grow them, like the tomatoes.

      2. Allie Avatar

        Yes, I agree! Real maple syrup has less fructose than honey if you havr fructose malabsorption issues and makes your children hyper. Sucanat is pretty good and is not overly processed but does take longer to melt,but boiling water helps! Agave is super processed and is no better than high fructose corn syrup. Ew! Both xylitol and erythritol are not healthy. Xylitol is also often made from… CORN!! GMO corn I would bet. Am I against corn? Yes I am! Its kind of a grain, the body doesn’t really process it and my family is intolerant to it. And its not Paleo.

        1. anita Avatar

          I use Xylitol made exclusively from birch bark. It works wonderfully well. Why would you just say xylitol is not healthy. It is about the healthiest natural sweetener there is.

      3. Dee Avatar

        I agree to the comment about xyiitol People should research it before making decisions to use it in a drink. Yes it has benefits however like many other products you should precede with knowledge and care. It has dental benefits also but dosage is still important because it can cause indigestion problems

    3. Monika Avatar

      Friendly FYI…..xylitol doesn’t kill bacteria, it simply does not feed it. It has also been noted to create a “slippery” surface making it difficult for bacteria to adhere to mouth/sinus/throat cavities.

      1. anita Avatar

        xylitol does kill bacteria, There are studies that show it specifically kills the bacteria that causes tooth decay and stomach ulcers. It also kill fungus, that is why it prevents yeast from working in yeast breads. It also increases your absorption of calcium, that helps people with brittle bones.
        I think you may be thinking of cranberry juice, which prevents urinary tract infections because it creates a slippery surface that bacteria can’t stick to.

  8. Kari Avatar

    Would this be ok to drink during pregnancy? I just don’t know much about Himalayan Sea Salt. Thanks! Sounds delicious!

  9. Shira Avatar

    I’m thinking of using your recipe as a Gatorade substitute for a colonoscopy prep. Gatorade is so gross and artificial. If I use the EmerGenC, how many packets should I use and does this replace all or just some of the ingredients? If not all, which ones?

    1. Sherry Avatar

      I was thinking the same thing. Scheduled in May. Did you use this recipe?

    2. Kirsten Avatar

      You can use 3T Natural Calm (taken twice) as colonoscopy prep. I intend to do so in the near future.

      And I’m currently drinking a DIY electrolyte drink, but didn’t think to add that in. Smart.

    3. Stephanie Avatar
      Stephanie

      Did you ever get a reply. I too want to use this in place of gatorade for colon prep

  10. Jeneal Southern Avatar
    Jeneal Southern

    Where do you get your calcium magnesium tablets or what brand do would you buy… and also coconut water?

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      Natural Calm powder actually works great in this and it is easier to use anyway…

      1. Kristen Auf der Heide Avatar
        Kristen Auf der Heide

        Would Calm be enough by itself? Or do the other other ingredients in the recipe help also?

      2. Wendy Avatar

        Would we need to dissolve the calm powder in hot water and wait for it to cool before mixing the drinks? I was under the impression that magnesium is better absorbed warm?

          1. Moroah Avatar

            I am also interested in if you can use kombucha as the base. Sent this to a friend whose been pretty sick for a while and they love kombucha but hate coconut (which means no coconut water – such a shame!)

      3. Kristen Avatar

        Can I add in cream of tartar for potassium? I want to make this for my two year old grandson.

    2. Heather Simmons Avatar
      Heather Simmons

      Thank you for this recipe! Can Calcium D-Glucarate be used with Natural Calm? There are 62mg calcium and 500mg calcium d-glucarate.

  11. Medea Leones Avatar
    Medea Leones

    as a medical professional and a herbalist involved in birth and emergency care for the last 2o years  we use a similar blend for teas.  you will find an increased calcium-magnesium with a trace minerals boost by adding a quality mint to your  tea blend- be sure to make an infusion to extract the minerals/vitamins. remember if you are using green tea- it is a diuretic, you will get the benefits of tea along with the increased fluid elimination… 

    1. Austin Avatar

      Do distilled hydrosols have the same properties as infusions? Could I distill an infusion to get a more pure product with a longer shelf-life, and use that in place of an infusion for nutritive purposes?

    2. Jen Pagonis Avatar
      Jen Pagonis

      Hello, I started taking all yesterday and today I had a headache. I Googled DIY falafel in order to avoid the sugar — and found your recipe. I’m driving it right now worth a base is jasmine and mint tea and passion fruit juice (no sugar added). So yummy! Anyhoo– I’m not supposed to consume much caffeine while taking Adderal. So I’m not sure if the green tea was a good idea. But then I saw the above comment about green tea being a diuretic. If my headaches are due to hydration (and drinking lots of water everyday doesn’t seem to do the trick) is a diuretic a bad idea?either should use herbal teas? Lastly if I take calcium and magen daily already…is it necessary in this “sports drink “?

        1. Nicole Avatar

          Out of curiosity, why did you ask about POTS and EDS? I’ve got both and found this website while googling Gatorade recipes. I’m always looking for fellow “sufferers.”

          1. Ole Avatar

            If you haven’t already, you should switch your lifestyle to Paleo, it cures all these so called diseases, where most diseases aren’t really diseases, it is conditions! And yes sadly, even Cancer is also just a condition, Artheritis, Asthma, PCOS, i really wish people learned more about what they fill themselves with, so we can get a nicer world, and lower taxes! 😀

    3. Rebekah Avatar

      Can I give this to my 2 year old while he has the flu? Or will it induce more vomiting?

    4. Elizabeth Oehmen Avatar
      Elizabeth Oehmen

      The info about being a diuretic is interesting. As an avid cyclist I do something similar to this. I make a tea and add honey and a pinch of salt. And I eat fruit on the ride. The bit about the mint is interesting. But if you are trying to hydrate, no you don’t want a diuretic. One of the benefits of adding a pinch of salt to your bottle is it helps you hold onto your water. Peeing it out means you don’t have the hydration to sweat it out. Also I’m a massage therapist and I don’t reccomend caffeine after a massage because it will dehydrate you. I know some cyclist will use caffeine as an energy boost at the end of a ride. But I just go for a sugar rush of a honey stick.

    5. Jan Avatar

      If one is battling dehydration why would they want to injest a diuretic!?

  12. Julian Avatar
    Julian

    For the record, monopotassium phosphate has potassium which is a vital electrolyte.

      1. Freya Gamlen Avatar
        Freya Gamlen

        <3

        Thank you. This game of pretending that everything with an element in the name is poisonous is very frustrating.

    1. Erik Avatar

      Likewise, “Phosphate is one of the body’s electrolytes … Phosphate is necessary for the formation of bone and teeth. Phosphate is also used as a building block for several important substances, including those used by the cell for energy [i.e. AdenosineTriPhosphate, ATP], cell membranes, and DNA” – from: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/hormonal-and-metabolic-disorders/electrolyte-balance/overview-of-phosphate-s-role-in-the-body

      Sodium, potassium, and ATP are needed for the signal conduction of your nerve cells (among others), and one possible cause of muscle cramp is lack of potassium. Also note that high sodium intake suppresses potassium uptake.

      So yes, the potassium phosphate is “really necessary” in that it supports athletic performance.
      Please don’t judge what you don’t know…

    1. Wellness Mama Avatar
      Wellness Mama

      I mix them as I need them but they do ok for a day in a gym bag without refrigeration, just wouldn’t leave them longer than that.

  13. Kim Avatar

    In place of the lime, could juice of lemon be used? Or is lime recommended for some reason?

  14. Jess D Avatar

    I lived off coconut water when I was training for half marathons (but was not eating processed foods)  but that was a hefty price tag (I said in lieu of ‘Gu’ it was worth it)… but I had no idea about this cool recipe!  I can’t wait to try it.  And also very excited you give the stamp of approval to Emergen -C  …. ilove that stuff 🙂

    1. Kristen Avatar
      Kristen

      Except for all the single use plastic packets. But good in a pinch.

    1. Morris Carroll Avatar
      Morris Carroll

      Liquid glass.spray it on every thing you Owne.it actually lives.you clothes and so on.nuthing can live on Lockwood glass.not even the worst vieris.making you home offic car germ fee.no air born viric will survive.why becaus germs have nuthing to live on so it just dies. Your wellcome.

  15. Kim Avatar

    I made this for my daughter today before soccer, I used coconut sap sugar and she said it wasn’t sweet enough so then added a tablespoon of agave(I know you don’t like agave) and that did the trick for her she really liked it.

  16. Laura Pienik Avatar
    Laura Pienik

    oh can’t wait to try this. just added coconut water to the grocery list for tomorrow

4.12 from 94 votes (61 ratings without comment)

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