It's a cute concept but unfortunately it is largely nonsense. The method of extracting sugar and electrolytes by soaking dried fruit leaves out a crucial component, fiber and amino-acids. The fiber and amino acids prevent rapid absorption of the sugar, which causes insulin-spikes, resulting in an unhealthy metabolic status during exercise and the need to constantly be consuming more sugar. This might be fine for a 30min workout, but honestly a 30min workout rarely requires a sports-drink anyways. Any serious athlete will have serious troubles with this method.

As another note, if you are turned off by the load of sugar in most sports-drinks, this "natural" method is not going to change that other than that there is no label telling you how much sugar is in it. Dates? Figs? Loaded with sugar, all of which is water-soluble and therefore easily transferred to the water.

And as for the gel comments regarding sodium absorption, that's equally nonsensical. Free electrolytes in gel products are easily absorbed, and are not somehow inferior to the sodium acquired from celery.

If you are uncomfortable with unknown ingredients, there are plenty of natural alternatives for sports nutrition - a good brand is Vega. They make a pre-, intra- and post-workout series using all natural, easy to understand ingredients that are exceptionally effective and low in sugar.

Whenever I cut up a fresh pineapple my husband snags a few slices and puts them in a bottle of water to soak overnight. The next day the water is incredibly pineapplized, it's very tasty especially if you don't like full powered juice.

Coconut water/juice!

I think making your own is a great idea. The corporations that make these things use terribly wasteful plastic bottles that absorb all those biphenols. Who wants to drink that? Just be careful not to be fooled into thinking that drinks crammed with sugar are the best idea. I'd ask a nutritionist first.

I drink mainly water which I flavor here at home. I just don't believe the sports drinks give me much pre- or during- or post-exercise and that they're mostly a marketing ploy.

I'm pretty sure the key ingredient in sports drinks is salt, which helps you retain all the things you're replacing.

at least, that's what my cardiologist said you have to do to stay hydrated. sugar water or vitamin water won't do anything to hydrate you: gatorade or powerade will.

I used to be a midwifery apprentice, and we mixed up glasses of labor-aid for moms instead of sports drinks:

* 1/3 cup lemon juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/4 tsp. sea salt
* 1/4 tsp. baking soda
* 1-2 calcium/magnesium tablets, crushed
per quart of water.

Yes, the key ingredient to gatorade or powerade is the salt or electrolytes. Otherwise, the vitamins and nutrients in this homemade drink I'm sure are good for you, but they're unlikely to have any effect on your body immediately.

The best drink I think is just plain water. At home I slice up some cucumbers and put them in water. It freshens the flavour and adds no empty calories.

I would hardly call that an energy drink...more like flavored water. I've been doing this for years! Take a standard 16.9 fl. oz. water, juice from half a lemon, a few strawberries sliced, some chunks of pineapple, ice and let it sit for 30-60 min (a camelbak works great for this!). You can make larger batches for parties; the longer it sits the more flavor the water will have. It's great when you want flavor, but don't want the extra calories from juice and soda.

For long rides in the summer (60-70 miles) flavored water however natural does not cut it. I usually use half strength PowerAde, but in a pinch I have found that half strength orange juice with some added salt will do the trick.

I really don't think this would cut it for times when you really need a sports drink but most people are not working out long enough or in hot enough conditions to really need a sports drink. Yes, the fruit will provide some calories and *may* provide potassium but it won't provide the sodium your are losing when you sweat. With the random nature of the suggestion (it wasn't for specific high-potassium fruits), you can't even be sure of the quantity of the calories or potassium . You'd be better off drinking water during and after and eating some fruit after from a nutritional standpoint.

My husband was working 8+hrs day on a highway in 100 degree weather near a paver (pouring material at ~300 degrees). He was conscientious about drinking water to stay hydrated and ended up washing all the electrolytes from his system. He had 2 seizures before he got to the hospital and was given an IV bag with potassium. He was lucky to have had the seizures, frankly, because it could have been a heart attack. The ER doctor and later his neurologist said that he needed to make sure to be drinking a sports drink in those conditions to prevent over-hydration. Needless to say, those were rather extreme conditions that the average person is not going to encounter in their daily workout.

He's now very careful about it. However, he still either alternates water and sports drink (made from concentrate -- cheaper and avoids most of the plastic) or makes the sports drink half strength when he's working (out) in everything but very intense heat. That provides adequate electrolytes without all the calories.

Carrotsticks, plain water is good for most daily water intake, but doesn't replenish electrolytes, which are lost during exercise or extreme heat. If your electrolytes get out of balance, you're at greater risk of cardiac arrest. In the mid-1990s, there was a fad among teenagers, who would guzzle 1-2 liters of water to get that "lightheaded feeling," similar to a light buzz. Only problem is, they were diluting their electrolytes, and cardiac arrest among teens skyrocketed. I have an electrolyte imbalance (my body won't hold onto potassium or sodium), so I am very aware of this issue.

I really like the idea for labor-ade from KATIEBLACKDEN, above:

* 1/3 cup lemon juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/4 tsp. sea salt
* 1/4 tsp. baking soda
* 1-2 calcium/magnesium tablets, crushed
per quart of water.

I'm going to try that.

If needed, I like to use an Emergen-C packet in a larger bottle of water.

I echo aschy. If you are exercising hard enough to warrant liquid nutrition (an endurance athlete), soaked fruit will never cut it. If you are more of a casual exerciser and calories don't matter as much then go for the fruit in the water to be a natural way to have flavorful water. I've tried several homemade recipes for liquid nutrition and have tried using fruits/nuts/eggs as nutrition, but there's a reason companies like Hammer Nutrition have spent years understanding and perfecting their recipes. They work and are pretty dang tasty! After researching nutrition, saying salt is the key component in a good sports drink doesn't seem to fully grasp the research and success of products like Hammer.

If you want to know more about what the body needs from a sports drink for endurance athletes, this is the best free resource I've found yet:

Hammer Nutrition

That link did not work!

www.hammernutrition.com/downloads/fuelinghandbook.pdf

I make a homemade isotonic sports drink with watermelon+lime juice.