Now that the weather is getting warmer (okay, HOTTER), it is even more important to stay hydrated, especially as some of our workouts move outdoors.
Sometimes, water alone just won’t cut it. When we sweat, we lose electrolytes, especially sodium and chloride. If we do not replace these electrolytes, our performance can suffer, and we can experience symptoms such as muscle cramps, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and nausea.
There is no shortage of sports drinks that promise to replace those lost nutrients, but what else are you getting with those? Here’s a sample list of ingredients in a commercial sports drink:
Water
Sugar
Dextrose
Sucrose
Gum
Yellow 6
Sugar, sugar, more sugar, artificial colors…the list unfortunately goes on.
Luckily we have a better recipe for you that contains just four ingredients, tastes amazing, and won’t give you any of those junky ingredients that you don’t need. This recipe calls simply for watermelon, coconut water, lime, and salt.
Watermelon is packed with potassium and water, which makes it a hydration superstar.
Coconut water provides sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
When you add a pinch of sea salt, you’re getting an extra punch of sodium, and the splash of fresh lime juice helps take the taste to the next level.
Check out these stats compared to that commercial sports drink!
Sodium: 409mg -vs- 238mg
Potassium: 796mg -vs- 91mg
Magnesium: 77mg -vs- 0mg
Calcium: 72mg -vs- 6mg
…and that’s with half the sugar!
Bonus: this recipe is totally kid approved, so have it on hand for your next soccer tournament or hard day at the park!
Here’s the recipe!
1c coconut water
1c watermelon cubes
1 pinch sea salt
juice of 1/2 lime (optional)
Blend and enjoy!
