I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. I am not a doctor; please consult your practitioner before changing your supplement or healthcare regimen.
Homemade Electrolyte Powder is the easy DIY sports drink that I now make for my own family, after years of making homemade electrolyte drinks! It contains the right all natural ingredients for replenishing the body and costs less than buying similar products.
This post provides two recipes: a single serving option OR a bulk recipe for one scoop easy prep of your water bottle!
This article also discusses why our bodies need electrolytes.
Here I share why Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride and salt are the easiest best way to make an affordable and effective drink to energize the body and restore electrolytes.
If you do heavy workouts, work outside in warm weather or have athletes in your family, Homemade Electrolyte Powder is a great and easy replacement for Gatorade, Recharge, electrolyte packets and other health food market products. It does a better job, it’s way cheaper, and it’s better for your body — natural, with the best version of each supplement!
Why not to buy Gatorade
- Gatorade contains 12 grams of sugar, and for those carb-minded, 14 carbs.
- When you start buying Gatorade regularly (or Recharge, for that matter), such as bulk cases from Costco, think of all those single-use plastic bottles. Much better to make your own quick-to-scoop powder, and use your own water bottle (like this).
- The money! Making your own Homemade Electrolyte Powder saves SO much money!
- You get to avoid all the food dyes and: sugar, dextrose, citric acid, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, gum arabic, glycerol ester of rosin, modified food starch, along with flavorings! GREAT things to avoid, right?!
Who needs electrolyte water
Most people get enough electrolytes from their food and simple hydration from water.
But anyone who’s depleted from heavy exercise or sweating in the sun likely needs to replenish.
Additionally, for anyone doing a Keto diet or fasting: the body changes how it processes electrolytes, pushing minerals out through the kidneys. This can lead to what some call the keto flu — symptoms from the loss of electrolytes.
Two important aspects of hydration are:
- drinking enough water (or a fluid that contains water)
- getting that water into your cells
Electrolytes allow water to move into cells — thus maintaining blood volume + proper organ and muscle functions.
What minerals do we lose when we sweat (or do Keto)
Whether restoring lost electrolytes after exercise or supplementing on a low carb Keto diet, which minerals need to be restored, and in what ratio?
Sodium
Surprisingly, we lose more sodium than potassium when we sweat (and on the Keto diet). So sodium is the most important mineral to put back in, especially quantity-wise. Sodium even helps to maintain and balance our magnesium levels. (source)
Sodium is responsible for heart and other muscle contractions, as well as fluid balance. It fluctuates quite a bit based on external factors, including diet and activity levels.
Regarding heavy exercise, every liter of sweat contains 40 to 60 mmol of sodium.
With low carb diets comes a decrease in insulin levels, which causes a loss of sodium.
Potassium
Potassium maintains normal cell function, intracellular fluid volume and trans-membrane electrochemical gradients.
An absence of potassium can cause constipation, heart palpitations, muscle cramps, increased blood pressure and kidney stones.
Potassium deficiency can also cause nausea with exertion. So if you feel nauseated when you exercise hard, it may be a clue that your body is potassium deficient.
Symptoms and deficiencies are good reminders to us that minerals are not one size fits all. While this recipe will serve most people to put back what’s lost during heaving exercise, sweating, fasting or the Keto diet, some of us will need a lot more potassium or other minerals at other times.
Magnesium
Magnesium helps to carry out over 300 biochemical reactions in the human body. But not a lot is lost during exercise. Nonetheless, most people are deficient, and some small amount is lost in sweat, so it is ideal to add it back in in small measure.
Why not to use Calm brand Magnesium
Many people and recipes use Calm brand of Mg for their electrolyte recipe. However, it’s better to avoid Calm because it contains citric acid. Citric acid is actually made from GMO black mold and may affect proper copper balance in the body. It’s best to avoid Calm and other products that contain citric acid — especially if it’s a food you plan to eat regularly.
What ratio of minerals does this recipe provide
The slight range below on sodium is due to brand and variety variations.
- 900-1000mg sodium
- 730mg potassium
- 60mg magnesium
Regarding sodium, this recipe assumes you’ll be sweating a lot. If you’re not, you can decrease the sodium to as little as 500mg of sodium, or anywhere in between.
The potassium may also be halved, if you prefer a less mineral-rich recipe or have lighter workouts.
What do electrolytes help with
Electrolytes help our muscles contract and relax. Without them, many of us experience muscle cramps, commonly at night while we’re sleeping or during heavy exercise.
Add in certain minerals, and the cramps go away! This is because our bodies need these electrolytes for proper muscle function. But life and heavy exercise (sweating) deplete them.
So we supplement with magnesium, potassium and sodium to replenish the basic minerals our muscles need.
Electrolytes also help our brain cells function properly. Electrolytes conduct electricity when combined with water. Many key processes in our body require a small electric charge to happen.
Other symptoms we feel from loss of electrolytes include dizziness, lack of mental clarity, headaches and an irregular heartbeat.
Fasting electrolytes
For those who do intermittent or longer-term fasting, minerals are depleted even more.
A blood test after fasting tells us our fasting electrolyte levels.
Which sweetener to use — optional
Sports drinks containing carbohydrates can provide energy to working muscles that water cannot. This improves performance and increases exercise capacity. At a time when muscle glycogen stores are diminished, athletes who consume sports drinks can maintain blood glucose levels. This allows an ongoing high rate of carb utilization and energy production.
Not everyone needs to put sweetener in their DIY Electrolyte drink. Add sweetener if:
- You want your drink sweet
- And/or you need the sucrose and/or glucose + fructose for the energy it provides (I talk more about this below).
Depending on your diet, your sweetener does not need to have carbs.
Sweetener is optional in your DIY energy drink if:
- You don’t want the extra carbs, sucrose/glucose/fructose, calories or flavor.
Personally, I do not want the extra sugars or flavor, so I leave it out.
But for my boys, I always add in a high carb sweetener (more on this below) if they’re doing really intense endurance sports. For example, when they play 2 to 4 basketball games back to back in ONE day, they benefit from the energy yield that the sweetener provides.
Firstly, the Keto approach
If you’re doing the Keto diet, you will only add sweetener to this recipe if you want the recipe to taste sweet. Without sweetener, this recipe beautifully restores lost electrolytes, problem solved — and the recipe is complete.
But if you prefer a sweet drink, I give that option in the recipe.
Which sweetener to use for best sports performance with DIY Electrolyte Powder (Non-Keto sweeteners)
The body’s energy currency is ATP, adenosine triphosphate. The body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose, which fuels the synthesis of ATP.
(I talk more here about ATP and sports performance.)
While we don’t need to ingest glucose for exercise energy, it is very helpful — especially with heavy lasting exertion, for any young athletes that are still growing and athletes trying to put on muscle.
Sugars and natural sugars also help to increase the speed of water absorption in the intestines.
Sucrose, glucose and fructose
Many sources suggest sucrose as the best form of carbs for exercise, to help provide energy to muscles, endurance and for recovery! But sweeteners that combine glucose and fructose give a similar benefit.
(Sucrose is a disaccharide, formed when fructose and glucose, which are simple sugars, or monosaccharides, link up.)
This means that while fructose alone gets a bad rap, a sweetener that combines fructose with glucose (or sucrose alone) gives the most benefit.
Sucrose is credited with:
providing an exogenous fuel source during endurance exercise, stimulating the synthesis of liver and muscle glycogen during exercise recovery and improving endurance exercise performance. (source)
Fructose and sweeteners that are heavy in it, like agave, are looked down upon because fructose is digested by the liver and can produce triglycerides.
But during heavy exercise, fructose is quickly used by the body if used in conjunction with sucrose — improving endurance exercise performance and recovery. (sources 1, 2)
Maple syrup
In addition to replenishing minerals, sports drinks often contain some form of carbs to generate insulin secretion. Insulin transports glucose to our cells and skeletal muscles.
Maple syrup is the ideal sweetener for electrolyte drinks because of the kind of carbs it provides.
If you look up the nutritional profile of maple syrup, it is very hard to get accurate numbers. Most sites have printed incorrect information!
In fact, maple syrup is mostly sucrose. It contains 65 to 67% sucrose, <1% fructose and 1% glucose (so 99% of the total sugars). (source)
Honey contains about 40 to 60% fructose, 30% glucose and 1 to 3% sucrose.
Agave nectar, in contrast, contains 60 to 90% fructose, 25% glucose and only trace amounts of sucrose. So, agave is too high in fructose proportionately. Unlike sucrose (or the fructose + glucose combination), fructose alone bypasses muscles and goes directly to the liver.
The sucrose in maple syrup replenishes energy and helps our muscles to recover after a hard workout.
What about sugar — interesting fact
Interestingly, sugar is 50% fructose and 50% glucose! This means that organic cane sugar is not such a bad choice for certain people in the sports drink setting. I still use maple syrup, but it’s good to know that sugar in this recipe will actually work better for sports performance than honey.
Coconut sugar
Coconut sugar is mostly sucrose, 70-79%, followed by glucose at 3-9%. This means it’s another good option for sweetening your sports drink.
One benefit of using coconut sugar is you could pre-measure it in with your dry ingredients, especially if you make the bulk version of the Homemade Electrolyte Powder (found in the Notes section below the main recipe). So it’s quicker to scoop-and-go each time you fill your water bottle. (If you do this, be sure to give your jar of powder a good stir each time before scooping.)
Final notes on sugars in your DIY electrolyte mix
- For those with sensitive gastrointestinal (GI) tracts, if you add too much sweetener to your water, it can cause stomach distress during exercise.
- For some (non-Keto), too little sugar will lower the amount of carbs you get before, during or after your workout. This can affect performance and the body’s ability to refuel.
Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar option
This recipe also includes the option of adding a small amount of fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. These acids (and even optional ginger) help with the digestion of water.
While this may seem strange, to need help digesting water, perhaps it won’t when you think about getting a stomach ache during exercise after drinking too much water.
Both lemon juice and apple cider vinegar help the stomach to assimilate the water more gently — thus more replenishment on a cellular level faster.
More than 90% of ingested potassium is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract; supporting digestion aids absorption.
Why not to use calcium in electrolyte drinks
You may have seen calcium added to some electrolyte drink recipes.
Firstly, calcium in electrolyte drinks does not improve performance or optimize health.
When taken orally, calcium only raises blood levels of calcium, which increases cardiac dangers and throws off the balance in the body of vitamin D. In most cases, we should avoid oral supplementation of calcium.
Personally, I am now of the mindset that our ancestors did not need nor pursue large sources of dietary calcium, and that we do not need to either. Rather, our bodies are very good at recycling calcium and using it efficiently. (Hair mineral analyses are a good way to assess your personal levels. Rabbit trail: vitamin A may actually pull calcium from the bones, so instead of trying to supplement with vitamin A and calcium, consider the low A diet, which helps to keep calcium in the bones.)
Avoiding calcium supplements is one more reason why not to buy certain pre-made electrolyte brands, which include this mineral.
Why not to use liquid minerals
I used to use liquid minerals for our family.
I now know that our bodies do not need or benefit from all the minerals in these products. One poignant examples is boron.
Boron deficiencies are rare, boron is already present in the foods we eat, and supplementing with boron can cause serious imbalances of both hormones and minerals. (sources 1, 2)
(I now avoid any supplements with boron.)
Homemade Electrolyte Powder (Easy Natural DIY Sports Drink recipe)
Equipment
- measuring spoons
- water bottle , 24-ounce is ideal
- pint jar with lid , optional -- for storage of Bulk recipe
Ingredients
- 24 ounces water
- ½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (916mg of sodium) -- or if you use white sea salt, 930mg sodium from ¼ + ⅛ teaspoons
- ¼ teaspoon potassium chloride <-- This brand (2 scoops), which I find to be the best overall and in flavor. (730mg of potassium)
- ⅛ teaspoon magnesium chloride <-- This one. (60mg of magnesium) This amount is also a dash.
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons optional maple syrup to preference; Or, for Keto: stevia or preferred low carb sweetener, to taste, such as allulose (For GAPS, it's okay to use honey, or omit sweetener.)
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons optional apple cider vinegar OR lemon juice, amount to preference
Instructions
SINGLE SERVING RECIPE
- Fill 24-ounce water bottle with water, leaving a little head room for additional ingredients. Add salt, potassium and magnesium. Optionally, add apple cider vinegar or lemon juice and sweetener of choice.
- Screw on lid. Shake to combine the ingredients and dissolve the powders. Done! Enjoy!
BULK RECIPE -- Pre-mixed powder in a jar, one scoop only! each time you make up your water bottle
- See Notes section below.
Notes
Homemade Electrolyte Powder BULK RECIPE --
Pre-mixed powder in a jar, one scoop only! each time you make up your water bottle ...This bulk recipe of Homemade Electrolyte Powder makes 20 servings.
Ingredients
See product links in the main recipe above. Recipe may be doubled or tripled etc.- 3 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons potassium chloride
- 2-½ teaspoons magnesium chloride
Instructions
- Choose a 1 or 2-cup (pint) jar with lid.
- Add minerals listed above. Stir to mix well.
- Screw on lid, and store so it's ready to use each time you need it.
- 1-2 Tablespoons maple syrup, or for Keto, stevia or low carb sweetener of choice, to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoon ACV or lemon juice
Instructions
- Fill 24-0unce water bottle with water, leaving a small amount of head room.
- Add ¾ + ⅛ teaspoons (or just under 1 teaspoon) DIY Electrolyte BULK powder (it might be a good idea to re-stir or mix the powders occasionally to make sure they're evenly mixed) + optional sweetener and ACV/lemon juice.
- Screw on lid. Shake to mix and dissolve the powders. Done! Enjoy!
The following nutritional data is for the Keto version of this recipe, so does not display the sugars or carbs in the maple syrup version of the recipe.
For the maple syrup version of this recipe, each 24-ounce serving of DIY Electrolyte drink has 11.9g of sugar and 13.4 carbs.Nutrition
You can Pin Homemade Electrolyte Powder here:
How much Electrolyte water to drink during exercise
Weigh yourself before and after exercise to see how much water weight you lost during a particular workout. Urine color is also a good indicator. Urine should be very pale yellow, almost clear, not bright or dark yellow.
Athletic performance can be affected when more than 2% of total body weight is lost. The best way to prevent this is to drink every 20 minutes.
Dehydration sets in before thirst, so thirst is not a good indicator of the body’s needs.
Other natural electrolyte drink recipes you may enjoy
- Bone Broth ~ homemade + how to avoid rancid fat when making your own
- Strawberry Switchel
- Blueberry Switchel
- Peach Switchel
- Raspberry Beet Kvass
- Strawberry Kvass
Electrolyte foods
If you’d like to replenish electrolytes with plain water plus foods, here are some good options:
- bananas
- dairy yogurt and milk (especially raw or low temperature pasteurized 100% grass-fed A2/A2 milk)
- coconut water
- avocados
- watermelon
Which salt to choose for Homemade Electrolyte Powder
For every 4 grams of salt (1 teaspoon), you only get 1.6 to 2.4 grams of sodium. The rest is chloride.
Surprisingly, table salt (only choose non-iodized) provides the same sodium value as good quality sea salt, such as Redmond Real Salt or Celtic sea salt.
Certainly sea salt is a more beautiful and less refined product than table salt, with trace minerals, but for our purposes in this recipe, both provide the needed sodium.
Choose either, depending on your preference.
One more reason to choose Celtic Sea Salt (or Redmond Real Salt) is they are lower in microplastics than many other salts out there.
As you’ll see in the recipe: Celtic sea salt often has less sodium if measured by the teaspoon, instead of by weight, because the granules are larger and there is more air between them.
If you choose table salt, be sure that salt or sea salt are the only ingredient. You’d be surprised: actually check the label. Look for no added anti-caking agents or other chemicals.
Why NOT to use Himalayan pink salt
Pink salts are mined and have been compressed for millennia. This means our bodies can’t assimilate the sodium or other minerals from it as well.
You can read more here about why to choose sea salt over Himalayan every time.
Should you add baking soda to your electrolyte water for exercise benefits
The short answer is, No. Read more here about when and how to take baking soda for sports performance, with digestion in mind.
Related articles
- The role of minerals in weight loss
- Why and how to take fulvic acid minerals
- How to use zeolite and zinc for copper toxicity
- The best bone broths to buy
- How to do a daily detox with apple cider vinegar and activated charcoal
Sus Adam says
I se in this article you call for avoiding Boron. I am curious about this.
Is it a purely nutritional advise?
What is your knowledge regarding Boron being very important to rid the body of all the polluting chemicals entering our bodym incl nano size polution (for example form Chem trail polition)so not for nutritional value but for detox and health value?
Megan says
Hi Sus, I personally would not use a supplement that can harm (being in too high of quantities, like boron) to detox the body, as I’d be replacing one blight with another. I use nano-particle zeolite spray to detox my body and brain of environmental toxins. Here’s my link if you’d like to see the product and read more about it. You’ll need to click the Shop Now button to proceed from the initial page. https://meganstevens.mycoseva.com Let me know if you have more questions about it. 🙂
Lori says
Can I use Redmond real salt for the sea salt?
Megan says
Yes, it’s a great option, as it’s also low in microplastics that are sometimes found in salt.
Gloria says
What an interesting and informative post. This would for sure save money. I love the fact you can make this yourself.
Megan says
Thanks, Gloria, I’m glad it’s helpful! 🙂
Suzanne says
Hello Megan,
Great article! I have this old recipe called haymaker’s punch that uses apple cider vinegar, molasses and water to replenish thirst. Especially after working in the fields all day! Has a taste similar to iced tea. If I can locate the exact recipe amounts I will forward it on to you.
Have a good week, Suzanne
Megan says
Hi Suzanne, it is similar to switchel, your recipe, but yours uses molasses instead of another sweetener. I have three switchel recipes on the blog, here: https://eatbeautiful.net/?s=switchel I even wrote about Haymaker’s Punch in one of them, a very cool piece of history on American farms! Thank you! And have a good week, too! 🙂
Pam Johnson says
Looks great!
Where do you purchase these products??
Megan says
Hi Pam, which products are you referring to, the components to make the DIY Electrolyte Powder? If so, in the recipe itself, each ingredient links to Amazon where you can purchase them. I hope that helps! Just click on the ingredient itself under the Ingredients list.
Julie says
I hate using those processed drinks, so I’m so grateful to have healthy alternative here. This is such a great idea.
Megan says
Yay, awesome, Julie! So glad it’s helpful! 🙂
Adam says
Great research and advice. Our family takes in a lot of electrolytes so this will be wonderful.
Question- some other powder drinks have zinc, phosphorus, and manganese. Do I care about these?
Megan says
Good question, and I’m glad the recipe and article are helpful. 🙂 Zinc levels are best determined through a hair mineral analysis and then by supplementing with zinc picolinate. Zinc is best taken with food, and most people can handle the minimum dosage of 15mg, but some people need a lot more (and some less). Zinc is a copper antagonist and helps the body to usher out toxic levels of copper, but this also can’t be done too quickly. Adding zinc to water really isn’t the best approach to match what I’ve described above. Zinc can also be taken in through pasture-raised, grass-finished beef. As for phosphorus, phosphorus levels fix themselves through proper zinc intake, including meat intake. Manganese should be avoided (same as boron). So, we don’t want to add any of these to our electrolyte drinks.
Janessa says
Such an informative post, Meagan! I have never even thought about the fact that I could make my own electrolyte powder but I will be trying this for sure! Thank you for including batch directions- this will be perfect to get ready when I meal prep at the beginning of the week and to have on hand for going to the gym.
Megan says
Great, Janessa, and it should carry you beyond a week, depending on how much you drink, as the bulk batch is 20 servings. Enjoy! 🙂
Diane says
Hi! I was thrilled to run across your highly your article and easy to follow recipe as I have been looking for such a thing for awhile. My question is would it be OK to use different forms of potassium and magnesium in the same proportions? I happen to have potassium citrate and magnesium glycinate on hand that I would like to use, so I just wanted to check.
Megan says
Hi Diane, good question! No, I don’t think so. Potassium citrate is an alkalizing agent. Sometimes it is prescribed for mild urinary tract infections. Potassium chloride is a form of potassium used when people have low levels of potassium. With the magnesium, magnesium glycinate is Mg compounded with the amino acid glycine, whereas Mg chloride is a magnesium salt, so it is more fitting to use the latter. It would be better to use the two forms of minerals called for in the recipe as you’re creating a mix to replace lost cell salts.
ann says
thank you well researched and presented very helpful!
Megan says
You’re welcome, Ann, so happy it’s helpful!
nancy says
wow i didn’t know you could make electrolyte drinks at home! I’m never buying it again. I saved so much money!
Megan says
Yes, definitely! So glad it’s helpful, Nancy! 🙂
Claire says
My son buys so many electrolyte drinks and I always worry about the chemicals in them, so when I saw this I knew I had to give it a go.
He was quite impressed with it, which is a hard thing to achieve!!!
Thank you, I have given him the recipe and he is going to make it at home.
How long can it be stored for?
Megan says
Great to hear, Claire!! Thanks for sharing. I haven’t had any clumping, but we do go through our bulk batch of 20 servings in less than 2 weeks each time, so I’m not sure if at some point the moisture in the sea salt would cause any issues. I put mine in a mason jar with lid. Likely storage is at least one month. All of the ingredients will store indefinitely separately, so if there’s any concern, I’d just buy a salt that’s not wet (so not Celtic sea salt), and the shelf life would then be quite long.
Donny says
Thank you much for sharing all this information. I do work out pretty hard but have always avoided Gatorade and similar drinks. Do you know how long it lasts if made in bulk in a jar? (Sorry, might have missed this in the post.)
Megan says
No problem, 20 servings in the recipe. So either 20 days, or shorter if you use it more than once daily. And, you can double or triple the recipe, if preferred. Happy it’s helpful; enjoy!
Stacey says
I have been looking for a healthy electrolyte drink at the store but can never find one. I’m so impressed that you have a recipe for one & even a keto version, yay! So helpful to have this, especially when exercising in this hot weather.
Megan says
Great, Stacey, so glad it’s timely and helpful! 🙂
Kim says
Hi Megan,
Due to chemotherapy, my sodium and chloride are chronically low. I’ve used other powders (I won’t buy sugary drinks!) and figured I could make my own, so thanks very much for this recipe! One question: I see that a bulk batch is 20 servings or “scoops,” but…what do you consider a “scoop”?
Many thanks!
Kim
Megan says
Hi Kim, happy to help, and I can see that it’s hard to find that! In the Notes section under the second set of Instructions, it guides how to make up the daily water bottle. A single serving is: ¾ + ⅛ teaspoons (or just under 1 teaspoon, specifically ⅛ teaspoon less than 1 teaspoon). I’m sorry that it’s a weird amount but that’s the way it works out. We use a teaspoon as our scoop. It gets quick to measure if you just “eye” slightly less than one teaspoon. I’m so happy that this DIY powder will be helpful to you!
Catherine says
I would to make 1 gal at a time instead of just 24 oz. Is there a reason why I shouldn’t. If it’s ok, should it be refrigerated?
Megan says
Hi Catherine, I think this would be fine. Yes, refrigerated is best. 🙂
Megan says
One reader emailed to say how much they’re liking their DIY Electrolyte Powder. Here’s the photo she sent: https://eatbeautiful.net/c6zy 🙂
Ann says
I have been doing my electrolyte powder using celtic sea salt,magnesium glycinate,potassium chloride,fulvic ionic minerals and homemade organic strawberry powder with a splash of organic lemon juice and pure monk fruit (I am severely allergic to sugar)
Unfortunately,due to extreme detox (diet,supplements and enemas) for a severe eczema that popped out for the 1st time in my life about 9 months ago,I developed kidney stones.
I was told to use potassium and magnesium citrate (gmo free) for a while to “melt away” the stones.
Kidneys are in perfect condition based on blood work.
I would love your opinion on it.
Thank you.
Megan says
Hi Ann, I’m sorry, I can’t give my opinion on someone’s health condition. I do recommend Dr. Smith (The Nutrition Detective) if you ever need a new doctor to help you in your journey. He’s amazing with minerals and has a lot of experience with kidney issues. Blessings and best wishes!
Sophia says
I will have to try this recipe! I am looking forward to saving money on electrolyte powders and having more control over what is in my drinks! One question: is there a reason you use potassium chloride and magnesium chloride rather than potassium/magnesium citrate (or any other compound for that matter)?
Megan says
Hi Sophia, good question, yes. All citrate forms of minerals are not recommended as they cause inflammation. Here’s one study: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/exogenous-citrate-impairs-glucose-tolerance-and-promotes-visceral-adipose-tissue-inflammation-in-mice/CC8224619E0381562123A1762E1AEFAD The other reason is: all mineral citrates are minerals bound to citric acid. Citric acid is created from (sometimes GM) black mold and messes up our copper metabolism. Our bodies process chloride forms of the minerals beautifully, in contrast.
Sophia says
Thanks! I guess I was wondering whether having too much chloride could be a concern if the mix is sodium chloride, potassium chloride, and magnesium chloride. But is that not an issue?
Megan says
No, it isn’t. 🙂
Rana says
Hello Megan,
Been using celtic salt to “remineralize” our filtered drinking water, but finding we are stilll thirsty compared to bottled water we used before. Would you recommend the same measurements for regular drinking water regardless of activity level/age? We have toddlers! For 1 gal would you use the same measurements as 24oz or multiply by 5 to match?
Thanks!
Megan says
Hi Rana, good questions. I would actually do just a 1/2 to full pinch of the electrolyte powder per 16 ounce glass, and actually each person’s needs will be slightly different. Some of you may need more potassium specifically. For my body, I put 1/16 tsp. of potassium chloride in the night time glass of water that I drink to take my supplements. My youngest son doesn’t need this and actually feels more thirsty when he has that much potassium. So personally, for adults, I’d do just a half to full pinch of the Homemade Electrolyte Powder, or what that multiplies to be for your gallon of water, and then if anyone feels thirsty or wants to experiment, they could see how they feel by adding additional potassium separately. Long term, it’s ideal to have mineral testing by both hair and blood, because then you can see what each person’s actual levels are. Regarding toddlers, supplementation is typically half of what adults need, so you might do a quarter to half a pinch for their water, or a pinch for every 2 to 4 glasses, whatever that works out to for a gallon. 🙂
Jason Troske says
Would lime juice give the same benefits of lemon? And could you use crystallized lemon or lime powder to have in the dry ingredients? It’s just lemon and lemon oil crystallized so no additional sugar or additives.
Megan says
Hi Jason, lime juice will work as well, yes. Re the lime powder/lemon powder, my concern would be the lemon oil on a person’s sensitive GI lining. Typically oils should be dissolved amidst a fat base, not dissolved in water; so whereas lemon or lime juice are safe in water, lemon or lime oil will float around in tiny globules that never fully mix into the water and are thus not gentle. Another option would be to consider opening apple cider vinegar pills, which are just dehydrated apple cider vinegar, no oils, and ACV has a similar benefit to lemon or lime juice. That could make a pretty neat dry powder mix possibly. We do use liquid ACV in water as often as fresh citrus juice, so from a functionality perspective, it works well. The flavor we like, but obviously, it’s a little different and not quite as straightforward as citrus. You could experiment with how much, starting with less as opposed to more.
Jason Troske says
What is the concern with using iodized table salt vs non-iodized?
Megan says
Hi Jason, this explains: https://nutritionrestored.com/blog-forum/topic/why-i-never-recommend-anyone-use-potassium-iodide-a-known-anti-thyroid-compound-2/ 🙂
Becky Richardson says
My husband has an ileostomy. His output is often liquid instead of thicker. I have been buying water with electrolytes to make his orange juice and his ice tea but making it my self would be so much more cost effective. Where do l buy the ingredients to make this and would you be so kind to give me the recipe for making a gallon of water. Thank you so very much.
Megan says
Hi Becky, sure. To make a gallon, times the recipe by 5 (multiply each ingredient by 5), and that will get you pretty close to a gallon. 🙂 The ingredients each are linked in the recipe itself, if you click on the BLUE ingredient; it will open a page on Amazon for that product. I hope that helps!
Becky Richardson says
Thanks so much for the info!
Megan says
You’re welcome, Becky!
Mark says
Thanks for your research and recipe. I’ve been active all my life with 30+ years of endurance activities and weight training. I’ve been taking Nuun tablets (electrolytes only) and Tailwind Endurance Fuel for years and wanting to find a more economical and healthy solution. Tailwind is a favorite among ultra athletes for not making our stomachs upset with sustained use. I also note Tailwind uses primarily non gmo dextrose and non gmo sucrose powder (25g/serving) in addition to the sodium, potassium, magnesium ingredients. I’m mostly plant based and don’t consume sugary beverages and foods and I’m active every day so I’m okay with taking in some sugar and probably need it. And I’ve been taking these electrolytes for years with no discernible issues. I plan to make a bulk batch of your recipe. Could I buy some non gmo dextrose and sucrose powder and add to your bulk mixture? My plan is to start with 25% of the Tailwind quantity and adjust as needed. I don’t really want to fuss with syrups and such. thanks again. Mark.
Mark says
Here’s a link to the Endurance Fuel, ingredients can be found around half way down the page.
https://tailwindnutrition.com/products/endurance-fuel
Megan says
Hi Mark, yes, I think that will work fine. I haven’t done it to give you any specific ratios, but hopefully you can adjust it, to taste, and find what you like best. 🙂 I’m glad the article is helpful, and thanks for sharing!
Breandan says
Hello. Thanks for the neat recipe! I’ve been buying electrolyte pre mixed formulas but it’s very expensive. I bought all 3 of the main ingredients you listed.
I just received my Celtic Sea Salt and it says “it does not provide iodide a necessary nutrient”. Should I be concerned about this?
Thanks ????
Megan says
Hi Breandan, great! So glad you’re happy with the recipe and have the ingredients. Good question. No, you shouldn’t be worried about the salt not having iodide. That’s what you want. This is an additive in salt that we don’t want and that may actually be dangerous. There are many studies on this; I’ll include a few in case you or future readers would like to see them. In short, potassium iodide is damaging to the thyroid. It was used in the past to treat iodine disorders, but that’s not a good reason to keep adding it to salt (especially because iodine itself is accessible if someone needs it). Just salt like found in nature, no man-included additives is what we need. 😉 Thanks for asking.
Here are the studies and other helpful links:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1243786/
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Potassium-iodide#section=Safety-and-Hazards&fullscreen=true
https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search/a?dbs+hsdb:@term+@DOCNO+5040 (This link has now been removed, but it was a great article.)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542320/
Breandan says
Thank you for your quick and detailed response to my question Megan! You don’t need to respond to this….I just wanted to say thanks 🙂
Megan says
Thank you! Happy to help! 🙂
Harry says
This is a wonderful recipe and I thank you for providing it. After spending many hours (mostly in frustration) researching various sources this one stood out as the best researched and most complete.
I wonder if you have any thoughts in regards to water fasting using this to maintain proper electrolyte levels. Asking this it is understood that the only way to really know if all levels are good is by testing done by a lab. However my question is a bit more broad.
Scientific studies have proven that for long fasts electrolytes should be supplemented in order to remain healthy and avoid many possible issues. Do you think this drink has any major blind spots for such use? Thank you for whatever input you are able to provide. And thanks again for your recipe! Best wishes!
Megan says
Hi Harry, and thank you for your kind words. I’m so glad the recipe is helpful! I don’t have enough information to add to yours on the topic of water fasting and how best to do it, but I can share a small amount of my views on water fasting in general. My concern is that certain toxins stored in the liver are not addressed through water fasting. People may feel better temporarily through water fasting because the process reduces toxins in circulation. They are stored in the liver during the fasting. Soluble fiber and specific proteins are required by the liver to run CYP450 detox pathways, to usher toxins through the stool, sweat and urine. Enough water to hydrate the fiber and a small amount of fiber may be helpful for a few-day fast, in excreting toxins. Beyond this, I personally think very highly of the low vitamin A diet for addressing liver health (and thus whole body health) and full body detox. If this gets way beyond the scope of your intentions and goals, I hope you find more fitting information! Best wishes, too! (https://eatbeautiful.net/vitamin-a-detox-diet-free-printable-food-lists-avoid-eat-toxicity/)
Harry says
Thank you very much, I will research this further. I appreciate your help! 🙂
Megan says
Happy to! 🙂
Danielle says
I love all the information and sources provided. You’re speaking to my athletic nerd science soul.
(1) What are your thoughts on brown rice syrup? I’ve heard some people think it’s a good energy source to consume for workouts since it’s comprised mostly of glucose. However these same sources also advised to stay away from fructose because of the belief it will be digested first by the liver and requires excess of fluids to flush it through the stomach.
(2) On that similar notes, you explained why fructose + glucose decreases the issue of fructose being turned into triglycerides by the liver. Do you have any comment on the second claim that it takes more fluid to flush it through your system than other sugars (which takes fluid source away from muscles etc.)?
Continue spreading the good word of health science!
Megan says
Hi Danielle, thanks for the kind comment and questions! So sorry for the long delay in responding. We recently adopted, which is wonderful!, but answering comments is taking me a lot longer. 😉 Great questions! Two thoughts on brown rice syrup: One, the thing that concerns me about it is the arsenic. It would be great to get regular (every 6 months) hair mineral analyses done while consuming it regularly to know if it’s causing a problem. (I have this testing done to correct my zinc, copper and other mineral levels, for best overall health.) Brown rice is the major source of arsenic, and brown rice products, like its syrup. If you had testing after using it and didn’t see that level going up, then it might be safe for you. Two, it would be great to experiment with brown rice syrup to see how it makes you feel and perform during a workout. With a heavy workout and proper hydration the amount it affects the muscles may not be noticeable, so I think real world trying both options would be the real deciding factor.
Anna says
Thank you!! We have used LMNT for awhile and simply can’t pay that much for electrolytes anymore! I have tried several homemade options and tried yours today with the recommended brands here and I am so happy with it! Excited to be able to customize amounts/sweetness/”flavor” for each person’s needs.
Your website and soup cookbook have been so helpful to me, I appreciate all that you have taken time to share and research.
Jordan says
Do you have any advice on how to remove the build up that happens at bottom of the water? I love this ingredient but found that some of the ingredients don’t dissolve well and gather at the bottom.
Megan says
Hi Jordan, I haven’t had this happen. Maybe just shake it before drinking?
cindy says
Curious if you could share with me whether this would be a good electrolyte for those with issues balancing and absorbing enough sodium to the skin and to the cells? I have an autoimmune disease that depletes moisture levels and therefore I do better with an electrolyte and can see the response in my skin. I am going to attempt to make this using the bulk recipe as currently I am buying LMNT and it is a bit pricey. I would appreciate any additional thoughts. Thanks so much.
Megan says
Hi Cindy, I would certainly think so, but I can’t say for sure. If you have results you want to share after trying it, please do. Thank you, and best!
Leigh says
Great recipe! Husband likes it well enough, kids don’t care for the flavor. Would adding organic, no sugar, dried fruit powder affect the mix in any bad way?
Megan says
Thank you. It’s worth a try! I think for kids it’s less of an issue. As adults, we need to be more careful with fructose.
Gabby says
Thank you for this recipe. I have been looking for a recipe that won’t interfere with the absorption of my thyroid medication. Most have calcium and LMNT is too expensive for daily use. I am struggling to find a scale that measures in milligrams as well as precise measuring scoops. Can you help with that?
I apologize if this is mentioned in the notes section. Can’t seem to locate them.
Megan says
Hi Gabby, I’m glad the recipe is helpful! I’m sorry; I’m not quite sure what you mean about the scale and measuring. The recipe does give the mineral amounts in teaspoons and milligrams. In case you can’t read it for some reason:
½ teaspoon Celtic sea salt (916mg of sodium) — or if you use white sea salt, 930mg sodium from ¼ + ⅛ teaspoons
¼ teaspoon potassium chloride (730mg of potassium)
⅛ teaspoon magnesium chloride (60mg of magnesium)
I hope that helps!
Max says
Thanks for the recipe,
I followed it and works well,
What do you think about adding Vitamin C powder (Ascorbic Acid) ?
Thanks again
Megan says
Hi Max, so glad you’re enjoying the recipe and happy to help. I personally would not add vitamin C, as it helps the body store toxins instead of detox them. And exercise is a wonderful time to utilize all detox pathways, because it affects our GI tracts and makes us sweat. So we want help along instead of deter that process.
Michelle Wilber says
Is it possible to add this to a completely different drink? Such as could I add this to tea, water kefir, juice, or similar? Or does it need to be on its own?
Megan says
Hi Michelle, good idea. I hadn’t thought of it, but I don’t see why not. 🙂
Steve E. says
Will this recipe work for long water fasts?
Megan says
I’m sorry, Steve; I don’t know.
Carol Wingo says
How much coconut sugar would you suggest for the bulk recipe?
Megan says
Hi Carol, it sounds like a lot, but I’d start with 1-1/4 cups coconut sugar, and then see how you like the sweetness. You could start with less if you want it to be less sweet, and then always add more accordingly. This would be for 20 servings, so it works out to 1 tablespoon per serving.
Scott says
If you mix this in bulk is there a possibility that the ratios may not be correct due to settling or separation of individual ingredients? Any suggestions on making sure that individual doses are at proper ratios? Would it be better to add water and store mixed rather than as dry mix?
Megan says
Hi Scott, the main thing I do is to give it a quick and thorough stir before using it/measuring each time. But I don’t think there’s a big risk as the bulk recipe makes 20 servings, which really isn’t that much. I put mine in a mason jar, and I don’t actually think there’s any settling in the time I take to use it.
Andrew says
Hello,
Great article, thank you so much for publishing. I do a BJJ class in the morning and this will be hugely beneficial to me. I am wondering about 100% Pure Epson salt with absolutely no additives or fillers as it is cheaper then the Magnesium Chloride here in Canada. Would this work instead of the Magnesium Chloride?
Megan says
Hi Andrew, thank you and happy to help. Epsom salts contain sulfur (it’s Mg sulfate) which is not ideal to ingest and won’t give you the same benefits as Mg chloride. The best bet is to find Mg chloride in bulk. You could also choose Mg citrate, if you can find a non-GM version in Canada.
Rose says
Hello and thank you.
I’ve bought *cream of tartar*, which is *pure* potassium tartrate and relatively inexpensive. So was using that in attempts to try homemade electrolyte drink.
Have tried several commercial electrolyte drinks & “Dr Berg’s” in usage for me and spouse and work aka shoveling out horse barns, but oh so pricey 🙁 .
What do you think about the K+ tartrate usage? vs KCl or ‘no salt’ ?
Megan says
Hi Rose, cream of tartar can be used for potassium. A few things to know about it: It has a sour or tart taste; that’s the tartaric acid. Dosage-wise, up to 1 teaspoon can be taken daily, depending on the individual, as it can cause loose bowels (so not more than 1 teaspoon). 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar has 500mg of potassium.
Sheila Q. says
Hi Megan,
Thank you so much for sharing your electrolyte powder recipe and clarifying why you use the choice of ingredients that you do. I find different people use different things, especially when it comes to the form of magnesium. My question today is, can we use Redmond Real Salt instead of the Celtic Sea Salt? I ask because in my attempts to find it, I’m finding 404 pages and also Amazon no longer gives you the ability to buy it. They show the product, but it is apparently unavailable. It is almost as if the product has been taken off the market.
So, again, would the Redmond Real Salt be an alternative option of do you recommend something else. I am wanting to make some of this to give to my 93-year-old mom for her to drink a glass of each morning.
Thank you again, , and I hope you will have time to answer this for me. Have a super day!
Megan says
Hi Sheila, happy to help. I would not use Redmond Real Salt, and that’s because it provides minerals we don’t want or need. What we want is plain white sea salt. I would use this one, or one similar: https://amzn.to/447fuX1 I’ll update the post, so thank you for letting me know that those products aren’t available anymore. 🙂 Blessings with your mom!
Sheila Q. says
Hi Megan! 🙂
Thank you SO much for taking the time to reply and to give me an alternative option. I had noticed, after sending my initial message, that you do have Redmond Real Salt listed as an alternative option. I only say that as you may want to remove that when you edit your post. 🙂 Again, thank you for steering me in the new direction. And, thank you, too, for your “blessings with your mom” comment. 🙂 Take good care!!!!
Megan says
☺
Nicole Smith says
I am going to try this! How many y times a day should I be drinking this in order to stay well hydrated? I workout for 35-45 minutes in the a.m. lifting weights 3 times per week and do a circuit class, yoga or a quick HIIt Sprint workout on the other two days of the work week. Weekends are a mixed bag of activity — yoga, walking, hiking, cleaning, abs, mobility, whatever! I also walk for at least 30.minites each night. I love movement but as a 48-,year old woman have had to make some adjustments to better support by body and hormones. More water and better hydration is one! Thanks for the recipe!
Megan says
Hi Nicole, happy to help. Personally I would just make up one water bottle with Electrolyte Powder for my heaviest workout, and then make Potassium Salt for cooking purposes, this recipe: https://eatbeautiful.net/homemade-lite-salt-salt-substitute-recipe-morton-copycat-salt-potassium/ Between those two, the body will be getting replenished with potassium, and you can drink plain clean water according to your body’s thirst beyond that. Best!
Kellian says
Hey Megan, I have been looking for a natural electrolyte mix for so long and I truly believe I’ve found it. Thank you so much. I will be making the bulk recipe to have it at will ahead of time. My question is should I double/triple scoop for my water bottle (I drink 64oz a day), or just drink the recommended 24oz and have the rest of my daily water without the electrolytes? Thank you again for this amazing recipe!
Megan says
You’re welcome, Kellian, and I’m so glad it’s helpful. Personally, I’d do just the single dose, and then what I do is cook with Potassium Salt, as Potassium is the main mineral most of us need and should be getting more of with our food. That recipe is really easy and fast, and I just keep it on hand for all my cooking. It’s here: https://eatbeautiful.net/homemade-lite-salt-salt-substitute-recipe-morton-copycat-salt-potassium/ It’s not delicious by itself, so I use white flake sea salt at the table for a finishing salt.