[conspire] attempting polite request to keep sodium levels down

[Akkana Peck]

Syeed Ali writes:
> I have a stale project researching a home made electrolyte drink, and
> as salt is in the formula I had looked into no-salt and low-salt salt
> products.
> 
> These also happens to have potassium, which is useful.  However, my
> notes say that potassium:  Exacerbates flatulence.  May interfere with
> nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), such as ibuprofen
> (Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (Aleve)

I seem to need an electrolyte drink when hiking/biking, or at least, Gatoraide seemed to reduce my post-exercise migraines. But even diluted, Gatoraide meant I was drinking way more sugar than I should. I looked up homemade sports drinks on the web a few years ago, fiddled a little and ended up with a recipe that seems to work for me.

In a Camelbak (70-oz or thereabouts) full of ice:
  1/2 tsp lite drink mix
    (I use a Kroger store brand that comes in cherry pomegranate or
    strawberry orange banana, but something like crystal lite would work)
  1/4 tsp koolaid (unsweetened powder)
  3/8 tsp salt
  3/8 tsp Morton lite salt (half KCl, half NaCl)

These measurements aren't at all precise; I take a 1 tsp measuring spoon and aim for about 3/4 tsp of combined drink mixes, 3/4 tsp of combined salts.

The result has no sugar, a little flavor and sour bite but not too much (especially after some of the ice melts), a little sweetness from the diet drink mix but not the awful cloying oversweetness of artificially sweetened drinks like Gatoraide Lite. Plus, it's a lot cheaper and I no longer have to hunt multiple stores for the couple of Gatoraide flavors I can stand.

If you're avoiding salt, you could use just the lite salt and omit the NaCl. Or even use KCl only, though that's harder to find in stores. And you could omit the diet drink mix and use stevia or something; I tried that for a while but it was more hassle measuring the small quantities needed, and I'm often in a hurry in the morning before a hike. Of course you don't need flavoring at all, but if it tastes good, you'll drink more and stay better hydrated.

        ...Akkana