DIY Sports powder carb drinks - please share your recipe

@Motard i assume a typo and you meant milligrams??

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Yep. I just edited to show mg/hr. Thanks for helping things stay clear.

@Dr_Alex_Harrison this may have been talked about in other threads, if so please point me in the right direction…but is there a good method to maximizing salt intake without doing expensive salt patch testing or whatever the pros do.

The last podcast guest (Matteo Jorgensen) talked about how his salt loss was off the charts and he saw performance increases when he started supplementing above and beyond what the team trainers thought was possible.

Is it trial and error? What are the signs you’re taking too much or too little? Is there a danger in going @Nate_Pearson mode and doing like 3000mg/hr just to see if you can handle it?

The first danger is GI distress.

The second danger is dehydration, but this happens SO much later and at so much higher concentrations of sodium consumption as to not matter in sport. You’ll never get there without first having a serious bathroom issue while exercising.

Read: try higher until you have GI distress, then back it off. There is little risk. (other than a mess)

Forget testing. It’s unnecessary.

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And by ‘other than a mess’, I guess you’re talking about what Si is talking about in the most recent GCN video: Are These Cycling’s Most Embarrassing Stories? | GCN Show Ep. 504 - YouTube :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

That’s correct. :slight_smile: “very strange protein bar” was the tell.

@Dr_Alex_Harrison The higher the sodium levels one takes in, I assume more (plain) fluids is required??

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I simply buy bulk maltodextrin and fructose. Always mix 2kg maltodextrin with 1kg fructose in a drum. When filling up bottles I add table salt according to weather conditions. Not really rocket science. I usually have one bottle with highly concentrated carbs and one bottle with pure water. Have not really noticed any benefits from trying 1:0.8 or going up to 120g/h. 2:1 and 90g/h seeems to be just fine and is practical.

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I was doing the drum/ old protein powder tub approach, but post brexit I’ve struggled to get large bags of fructose here in Ireland. It’s one of the products that’s dropped off the myprotein/ bulk powders listings.

HSN ship from Spain and are really cheap

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How much sodium citrate?

Could you point to this approach for me? I’m interested in looking into my sodium intake and taking on this mix as it sounds super simple. I’m a heavy salt sweater.

Thanks!

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Is there a tl:dr version of why use sucrose over maltodextrine/ fructose, if it’s anything other than cost?

I feel maltodextrine/ Fructose/ Electrolyte mix is working fine for me, both body and cost to be honest!

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Peak Supps in the UK? Not sure about Ireland shipping though:

To be honest, I’ve actually found it easier mixing in the bottles. Especially experimenting with ratio’s. At the moment, the malto is a tub, the fructose in a small packet, electrolyte in a small packet (which I’m finding I’m using more, even on the days I’m not doing the carb mix). Even if I did buy bulk again, I think I’d go two tubs at this stage.

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Yes and no. Mostly yes. I’d word it the other way around though.

The higher fluid one takes in (to offset fluid loss via sweat), the higher the concentration of sodium should be, barring other factors like GI upset which might force someone to use a less extreme sodium concentration.

The more fluid is lost and replaced, the more important it is to replace a greater percentage of sodium lost.

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If you sleuth through my activity on the forum you’ll find a few troves of valuable info, I think. I’d start with my recent comment on @toyman’s thread. It’ll help guide your iteration of sodium amounts.

Start with 1000mg/L. Adjust from there. OD’ing sodium has very limited consequences. There’s another comment re: OD’ing sodium, specifically, in a recent post of mine too.

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  1. Cost
  2. Simplicity in ordering. (groceries)
  3. Simplicity in kitchen. (pour from one spout/tub with bottle on food scale)
  4. Less to store in kitchen. (and we live in an RV)
  5. Slightly lower osmolarity. (this is purely a rationalization by me, to better justify why I’m cheap! But it’s also true, if doing very close to a 1:1 ratio of gluc:fruc)
  6. Less viscous beverage (concentrated front bottle, chase with water from second bottle)
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@mcneese.chad surely this thread already exists and can be merged?

I did indeed do some searching shortly after this was posted. There are multiple topics on DIY mixes, but I was unsure which might be most appropriate to merge.

I stay clear of the Nutrition category generally speaking, since I am ill equipped in this area, so I defer to others to make good recommendations. That said, if someone can find and link me to an existing topic that makes sense to merge, I will gladly do it. I just don’t feel knowledgeable enough to make that call on my own.

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Mike’s Mix (tapioca based maltodextrin). I have gone through multiple 8lb bags this year. Only downside is cost is higher than some of the uber-cheap corn based maltodextrin powders.

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