Sports drinks at home - simple recipes, isotonic and energy drinks

In sports, there is the concept of additives and various solutions that improve the athlete’s health. The correct water-salt balance during training helps to achieve good health and improve your mood, and special solutions - isotonics - help bring it back to normal. It is not difficult to prepare isotonic water with your own hands - you need to know its composition and purpose.

Sports drinks benefits

Sometimes sports drinks can be very beneficial:

When you perform intense exercise that lasts longer than 60 to 90 minutes, your muscles should benefit from the addition of glycogen that can be obtained from sugar.
Energy drinks contain energy and fat-burning properties, which are especially useful during workouts.
They are sources of simple carbohydrates. They can always fill carbohydrate problems after sports.
If you go to work out without eating beforehand, drinking an isotonic drink can give you a boost of carbohydrates (this will help replenish the energy you may be lacking).
Many people believe that the healthiest drink for sports is water. But this is a little different. The main benefit of the drinks is that they are full of electrolytes and nutrients to support the body before, during or after workouts.
Hypertonic drinks can be very beneficial when used correctly. After a very long workout, you can drink one of these high-sugar drinks to help replenish depleted energy stores, especially for the first 60 minutes or so after your workout to maximize recovery.
Drinking them may not always be very beneficial, but not getting enough fluids will definitely impair your performance.

What ingredients are used for weight gain cocktails?

The basis of homemade protein shakes is kefir or milk with a medium fat content. Cottage cheese or eggs are used as a source of protein, and carbohydrates with sweeteners - sugar, honey, ice cream, jam, fruit.

It is best to purchase fresh ingredients for each new serving of drink. After preparation, you should drink the cocktail within the first two hours. To obtain a mass of homogeneous consistency, you must use a blender. Without this household appliance, achieving such a result will be quite labor-intensive and difficult.

Energy

Of course, drinking clean, clean water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. During exercise and physical activity, when sweat leads to loss of minerals, various energy drinks are beneficial.

Regular water does not contain large amounts of electrolytes. The body loses a lot of minerals during exercise. It is helpful to add electrolytes and minerals to rehydrate after intense exercise or heavy sweating.

This does not mean that you need to drink such drinks regularly, but sometimes they really do have benefits.

Isotonic: why do they drink it?

Isotonic drinks are necessary to maintain the water balance of our body. They are actively used by athletes, since active sweating leads to pressure surges, nausea, cramps and problems with coordination. Isotonic drinks allow you to avoid troubles and are an additional source of energy.

Citrus isotonic

The drink is rich in carbohydrates, in particular glucose, B vitamins, and beneficial minerals. Sometimes stimulants and protein are added to the finished product to increase energy levels and nourish the body.

How to make sports drinks at home

At first glance, it’s hard to imagine that sports drinks can be prepared at home. However, the reality is that they are all a combination of plain water and three components: sodium, carbohydrates and flavoring. This may sound very complicated, but these are common things you probably have in your home:

Carbohydrates are sugars that provide fuel for working muscles.
Sodium is essentially just salt. A small amount will help speed up rehydration. It also maintains fluid balance and replaces salts that are lost during sweating.
Flavorings are what make a drink taste good, unless you like your drinking water mixed with just sugar and salt.

Long bike trips

The collection of medical supplies and medicines for a long journey should be approached with special care.
You should take into account the fact that you will have to wait a long time for medical help, and there will be nowhere to buy the necessary tablets or basic warming ointment. Most often, bicycle tours are of a group nature. Therefore, it makes no sense to carry a massive first aid kit for everyone. Most often, one or more group bike first aid kits are assembled, depending on the number of participants. Moreover, each cyclist must have with him an individual first aid kit, described above, as well as medications that, in the opinion of the rider, may be useful to him.

The complete set of a group bicycle first aid kit should be as follows:

An additional set of bandages, plaster, approximately 5-8 packs;
Ammonia;
Diamond Green;
Hydrogen peroxide;
Tourniquet
Scissors;
Thermal film;
Petrolatum;
Albucid;
Warming ointment;
Antibiotic;
Loperamide;
No-shpa or drotaverine;
Nitroglycerine.

You should also take into account other travel features. If you are planning a long trip in sunny weather, you should take sun ointment with you to avoid sunburn. If, on the contrary, there is a chance of catching a cold, then it is best to take cold medicine with you. If you plan to travel through the steppe or other areas with sparse vegetation, then you need to take a pair of tires or poles with which you can replace them.

Cocoa drink

Cocoa supports blood circulation and overall cardiovascular health. It has certain nutrients called flavonoids, including epicatechin, which benefit the cardiovascular system in several ways, including by maintaining optimal blood flow as well as desired blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Optimal blood flow to muscles during and after workouts can lead to maximum performance and recovery. The perfect combination of protein and carbohydrates to speed up muscle recovery can be found in a chocolate milk drink.

Ingredients:

Water – 250 ml.
Sugar – 5 tbsp.
Unsweetened cocoa powder - 1 cup.
Salt – 1 tsp.
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp.

In a medium saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil, whisking until sugar dissolves. Add cocoa and salt and mix with a whisk. Allow the mixture to boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and let cool. Add vanilla. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate.

Recipe No. 2

homemade syrup - 1 tbsp.
Skim milk – 300 ml.

Combine the ingredients in a glass and stir.

Recipe No. 3

Take carbohydrates with your coffee after an intense workout, and your muscles will absorb the glucose they need for faster recovery.

Ingredients:

Chilled coffee – 250 ml.
Cocoa powder – 2 tsp.
Sugar – 3 teaspoons.
Ice.
Skim milk – 1/3 cup.

Cooking process:

Recovery

Recuperation is no less important than the period of intense energy expenditure. Muscle overstrain can unsettle you for a long time and drive away any desire to exercise.

That is why it is advisable to create a cycling training schedule in advance, taking into account all other life stresses, as well as your health status.

Once cycling and exercise become a habit, you can increase the intensity. Regardless of what prompted you to start cycling, the desire to lose weight or the natural desire for a healthy lifestyle, do not forget about the delights of the process itself: the joy of overcoming, the delight of the opportunities that open up, the beauty of the result!

Train smart and always have fun!

Energy

You will need:

Ginger water – ½ l.
Water – 1 liter.
Lemon – 3 pcs (squeeze juice).
Sea salt – 2 tsp.

Ginger water:

1 medium sized ginger root;
1 liter of water;
liquid stevia, to taste.

Chop the ginger into large pieces and place in a large container. Add water. Bring water to a boil, then simmer for 17 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool. Add liquid stevia to taste and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Mix all ingredients together, refrigerate and enjoy!

Recovering in style

After competitions and long training sessions on rough terrain are left behind, the body will need recovery. The following actions contribute to the process of comprehensive recovery:

taking sugar in the last stage of the race;
minimizing the deposition of neutral fats on the liver by limiting fats and animal origin and carbohydrate consumption;
consumption of foods containing methionine, choline and glutamic acid, which catalyze recovery processes. (Eat something for this that will include meat, fish, liver, egg yolk, milk, oats, yeast, wheat, spinach or peas);
additional intake of special restorative mixtures or self-prepared oatmeal broth.

A nutritious oat drink is easy to make. Pour 2.5 cups of oats into a liter of boiling water. Then wait until the grains become soft and strain the mixture through cheesecloth. Pour boiling water over the pulp again and leave for 8-10 hours. It is better to store the decoction in the refrigerator, drink half a glass before the start of the workout and after its completion.

The rules of sports nutrition are relevant for professional cyclists. Lovers of quiet cycling, and especially those who got on a bike to lose extra pounds, can calmly eat everything they are used to, wisely combining different foods in their diet and replenishing the water-salt balance in time.

Drinks with herbs and honey

Honey does double duty post-workout, it's great for maintaining optimal blood sugar levels and promoting muscle recovery after a workout. So, how to prepare this healthy and sweet drink.

To prepare you will need:

Water – 700 ml.
Thyme - several sprigs.
Mint - several sprigs.
Honey – 4 tbsp.
Salt – 1 tsp.

Cooking process:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and stir some more. Enjoy your drink chilled.

special instructions

The solution has a pH of 4.6-5.4 and a theoretical osmolarity of 304 mOsm/L. Therefore, it can be injected into peripheral veins. If administration is by rapid infusion under pressure, all air must be removed from the plastic bag and infusion set before infusion begins, otherwise there is a risk of air embolism.

Fluid balance, plasma electrolyte concentrations, and pH should be closely monitored during the infusion. Sterofundin isotonic can be administered for as long as required to replace the volume.

Fruit

Ingredients:

250 ml real fruit juice;
250 ml water;
a pinch of salt.

Mix everything thoroughly. Use only natural juice. Naturally, it contains 10.4g of carbohydrates per 100ml, so overall this finished drink contains around 26g of carbohydrates.

This drink is relatively inexpensive, and each serving will cost you somewhere between 10-20% of the cost of a store-bought one. The price will only increase if you use expensive juices.

Everything is on schedule

The number and time of meals will depend on what part of the day the workout is planned for.

If an athlete trains in the morning, the following dietary regimen will be sufficient to fully provide the body with energy:

breakfast (30%)
lunch (35%)
afternoon snack (15%)
dinner (20%).

When a workout is scheduled for the evening, the schedule might look like this:

first breakfast (25%)
second breakfast (25%)
lunch (30%)
dinner (20%).

If two high-intensity workouts are planned per day, you should eat well five times:

first breakfast (20%)
second breakfast (20%)
lunch (30%)
afternoon snack (10%)
dinner (20%).

Mojito, non-alcoholic recipe

Many people know mojito as a delicious alcoholic drink, but mojito can also be non-alcoholic. To prepare you will need the following ingredients:

Lime juice – 25 ml.
Apple juice – 200 ml.
Water – 400 ml.
Honey – 2 tsp.
Mint – 5 leaves.
Salt – a pinch.

Cooking process:

So, to make a “sports mojito”, mix all the ingredients together (do not break the leaves). Shake the drink well and drink.

Quick tip: use sparkling water instead of still water and add a few ice cubes.

This recipe has a little more ingredients, but it's worth it. This drink is made entirely from natural ingredients and tastes very pleasant. It is inspired by the famous Mojito cocktail, but does not contain alcohol.

It's a good drink (contains enough carbs to compare to store-bought ones, but it doesn't have any of the harmful synthetics you find in branded drinks).

From lemon and ginger

Ginger is known to have many health benefits, particularly anti-inflammatory properties, which it shares with natural lemon juice.

So it's a good, healthy drink that also contains vitamin C. If you want even more benefits, use honey in your recipe. To prepare this delicious sports drink you will need:

Lemon juice – 50 ml.
Raw ginger – 500 ml.
Water – 400 ml.
Honey – 3 tsp.

Prepare the drink yourself:

Start by adding a few thin slices of ginger to a large cup of boiled water and leave until the aroma infuses. Remove the ginger pieces and squeeze in lemon, then add honey. Let it cool before pouring it into a drink bottle and leaving it in the refrigerator to chill.

Nearby country trips

For trips to forests and fields that are located in close proximity to a city or other populated area, you will need to slightly supplement the list of funds that was described above. In addition, you should add a couple more bandages, so that there are at least 3 of them in the first aid kit.

You should add:

Cotton swabs and bactericidal patch for treating minor wounds;
Wet wipes, preferably antiseptic, for cleaning hands and other surfaces;
Ethanol;
Analgin, Nise or other pain reliever;
Polysorb or other sorbent.

These means and preparations can already help a cyclist with minor injuries, wounds, various pains and ailments. Their action is aimed mainly at relieving pain, and not at eliminating their cause. With such a set, the rider will be able to get to the nearest pharmacy or medical center on his own.

Coconut water

It's hard to find 100% natural ready-made sports drinks, but drinking coconut water will definitely help. You only need 100% pure coconut water.

Coconut water contains 5g of carbohydrates per 100ml, very close to that of a sports drink, and contains an impressive blend of minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium.

Many of which are also found in specialty drinks. If you don't like the taste, try adding fresh lemon juice to it. The downside is that it is not as cheap as artificial water (coconut water is extremely expensive).

Try replacing all sports drinks with regular coconut water. Believe me, this is the healthiest natural drink.

Contents of the first aid kit

Cyclists, unlike motorists, do not have strict requirements for the contents of first aid kits. There is also no point in collecting it according to any specific lists. It is necessary to start from two aspects:

The presence of individual diseases, allergic reactions, etc.;
Travel distance.

If the rider has a tendency to any diseases or allergies, then he must take the necessary medications with him, regardless of the distance of the trip. Even if you are planning a walk of several hours to the nearest forest or park, it is better to play it safe and take a couple of tablets, drops, etc. with you.

It is necessary to take into account the distance of the trip in order not to carry unnecessary medications and supplies with you. When driving around the city, where you can easily find a pharmacy, it is much more effective to take 200 rubles with you than to carry with you a set of pills, ointments and other things. But if you are planning a country bike trip, it is also better to stock up on medications for any occasion.

All trips by distance can be divided into 3 groups:

Walks within the city;
Short country trips;
Long bike trips.

The best isotonics for running: 10 best companies

The top isotonics are compiled based on ratings and reviews from users of one of the most popular sports nutrition stores in the world.

Nuun Energy Effervescent tablet with electrolyte and caffeine. Available in different flavors from wild berry to lemonade. There are 10 tablets in one package. Rich in composition isotonic. It contains both vitamins (B12, B6, B3, C), minerals and caffeine, everything you need for a good isotonic drink. True, they note a weak and unpleasant taste. Dissolve in 0.5 liters of water.

Now Foods. Effer-C Effervescent instant drink with elderberry flavor. There are 30 sachets in total, each 5.5 grams. The list of ingredients is so huge that listing them can be tiresome. It includes all minerals, electrolytes and B vitamins. There is CoQ10 and alpha lipoic acid (powerful antioxidants), vitamin C and much more. Buyers note the pleasant taste of the supplement.

Ultima Health Products Another good electrolyte powder that comes in 3 flavors. The entire package weighs 306 grams. One of the most expensive isotonics. Users actively praise this product, which is not surprising, because the composition is very diverse. The only negative is that there is no sugar in the composition, but for people who monitor their blood glucose levels, choosing Ultima Health will be a good decision.

Emergen-C. Vitamin C Flavored carbonated drink. Available in 8 flavors, 30 bags of 9 grams each. There are no omissions in the composition, just what you need for an intense workout. Judging by the reviews, the powder mixes well and all the tastes are pleasant and varied. Many people drink it as a cold prevention due to its high vitamin C content (1 gram).

NutriBiotic. Electro - C Buffered electrolyte isotonic with lemon flavor. The package contains 454 grams. This isotonic drink is notable for the fact that it contains only the essentials. There is nothing superfluous that could be spoiled in the composition. Very large number of servings per package (363 servings).

Trace Minerals Research. Power pak Electrolytes for endurance and strength. With 13 different flavors. Powder in sachets of 30 pieces, 6.5 grams each. Buyers report an average effect, although it works well for some.

Emergen-C. Electro Mix Isotonic with natural lemon-lime flavor, 30 bags of 4 grams each. The composition is good, but the price tag is average. It is worth noting that this is the first product on the list that has the largest number of positive reviews. This says a lot. Maybe it's worth taking a closer look at it?

Kaged Muscle. Hydra-Charge Isotonic with fruit punch, mango and green apple flavors. The jar weighs 282 grams, which is enough for 60 servings. It differs from other isotonics in the presence of Spectra Total ORAC Blend - this is a supplement that consists of extracts of various plants, such as tea, coffee, apple, basil and many others. A very expensive isotonic drink.

Maxler Max Motion An excellent isotonic drink from the famous sports nutrition manufacturer Maxler. If you don’t know which isotonic to choose, then it’s better to start with it. Good composition, optimal price. A jar of powder weighs 500 grams.

Rline ISO Up This is an isotonic drink with the addition of taurine, caffeine and guarana, which enhances the effect of the isotonic drink. The optimal amount of sugar, good taste and a huge number of healthy additives. It is inexpensive and weighs 450 grams (18 servings).