Although there are popular brand-name sports drinks, you can make your own sports drinks to save money and to tailor make them to combine the flavours you like with proper amounts of salt, water and sugar. Sugar and salt help you absorb and retain the water to prevent dehydration, as well as replenish the salt to prevent hyponatraemia (low blood sodium), both of which conditions can send you to the hospital after a long hot walk or rigorous exercise.

The goal is up to seven per cent sugar concentration (glucose or sucrose are preferred) and salt of one to two grams per litre. Higher sugar content, above eight per cent, might actually slow water absorption. About.com.chemistry offers some easy suggestions for making sports drinks at home.

Basic sports drink

Blend together the following ingredients:

1 qt (32oz) or 1 litre water

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp table salt

Flavouring to taste - orange juice, lemon juice

Keep refrigerated.

Sports drink - Shake and make

3 tbsps table sugar

1/8 tsp table salt

Flavouring to taste - 2-3 tablespoons of orange juice, lemon juice or unsweetened Kool-Aid.

Fill halfway with water, mix well. Top off with water.

Keep refrigerated.

Powdered sports drink

Powdered sports drink powder can travel with you anywhere and is easy to combine with tap water.

9 tbsps table sugar

3/8 tsp table salt

1 packet unsweetened Kool-Aid or other drink mix.

Mix dry. Portion 1/3 of the mixture into each of three Ziploc bags and keep.

To reconstitute, add contents of 1 bag to a 20oz sports bottle. Fill halfway with water, mix, and fill with water, mix again.

Three-minute sports drink

An easy-to-follow recipe for making a sports drink that boosts your energy and helps replenish body fluids during and after strenuous activity.

Items needed:

A glass or bottle

4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp of flavouring - orange juice, lime juice, unsweetened powdered drink mix

8oz of water

Method:

In a clean glass or bottle, add everything together. Stir in ice or use cool water. Mix thoroughly.

Tips:

1. Use any fruit juice as a flavouring. Such as lemon or orange juice.

2. Try unsweetened powdered drink mix as a flavouring.

3. Never add more than 4 tsps of sugar to 8oz of water.

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Are energy drinks the same?

Energy drinks are not the same as sports drinks. Sportsmen and sportswomen should not drink energy drinks to enhance performance. Energy drinks offer highs to everyone, regardless of their dangers and side effects. Having an energy drink or two gives an extra boost during the day or night and the adventurous types like the high they get from quick-fix energy drinks which have some people living on the edge.

The content of energy drinks makes them controversial because of the ingredients they contain, namely, guarana, taurine, caffeine, cyanocobalamin, citric acid and ginseng.

Guarana is one of the richest sources of carbohydrate with three times the amount of caffeine compared to coffee. Taurine is an amino acid used to enhance athletic performance.

Even though these are basically harmless when taken in low dosages, studies have shown that these ingredients can do major damage to people who do not know how use them in moderation. This means too many people are consuming energy drinks in excess, for the wrong reasons.

Dangerous for diabetics

Energy drinks contain sugar, sodium and caffeine and, when taken in high doses, can increase sugar levels to dangerous proportions for diabetics and for people with high or low blood sugar. The stimulating effect of energy drinks might even affect persons with underlying heart conditions and may boost the heart rate and blood pressure, sometimes to the point of palpitations.

Athletes should exercise caution and not misuse energy drinks before competition to help them gain the advantage. This practice could backfire as the ingredients of energy drinks can affect the body as it tries to replenish electrolytes lost in performance or workout.

quick fix

The diuretic and dehydrating effect of caffeine in energy drinks could place an athlete at a disadvantage as the body desperately requires water for hydration. The quick fix that energy drinks give may not be enough to sustain performance when needed.

Proper hydration is especially important during performance or exercise. Adequate fluid intake for athletes is essential to comfort, performance and safety. The longer and more intensely you exercise, the more important it is to drink the right kind of fluids. In this regard, sports drinks have their place.