I have long been of the opinion that sports drinks are a high dollar marketing ploy. The army taught us that plain water was nearly as good, because these drinks replenished only the mostly easily reproduced electrolytes. I've gone with that philosophy for 23 years now. Its probably been more than a decade since I've had ANY sport drink.

I recently purchased a bottle of Gatorade G2 that was short-dated and cheap. I took it with today because I anticipated a need with the temps going high early. Intended to test this newer, updated product. Sure enough, I was sweating freely all morning and needed fluids. I drank the inoffensive 32oz. I noticed a stronger salt taste than I expected. The short version is that I feel that it helped me.

Yes, I think that this is HUGE business, but I am no longer opposed to buying & using these products, especially if they can be gotten on sale. Somewhere, I have a recipe for a homemade drink. Think I'll try to make some soon.

Yeah, I remember the old Yellow Death flavor. <shudders> I was working convenience retail when those horrid flavors came out.

This was raspberry watermelon or some such. Not so sure about the more generic drinks, but the G2 seemed to work as advertised.

Water will do in most environs. Scouts on Gatorade are another species, we don't allow Gatorade on hikes. The one exception I make is dry and very hot hikes east of the Cascades - Scouts on Gatorade over-replenishing on their electrolytes are highly preferable to Scouts down from heat exhaustion. Water still works on those hikes for me, but Gatorade is a decent and inexpensive psychological pick me up.

Mind the little booger pickers though - they'll pour in 4 packets of Gatorade mix for every quart of water. Hold them to the proper mix amount.

Oral rehydration solution

Tho this solution was developed primarily to treat dehydration
due to disease, it works well for quickly getting fluid into the
blood, faster than plain water when you are depleted by sweating. A home made Sports Drink.

"Basic solution

Where ORS sachets are not available, home-prepared solutions are typically used. While many different recipes exist to increase palatability (e.g. adding flavor, citrus, savory, etc.), all are based on a standard ratio of water, sugar, and salt.

A basic oral rehydration therapy solution is composed of:[20][21]

30 ml (6 level tsp) of sugar
2.5 ml (1/2 level tsp) of salt, dissolved into
1 litre (4.25 Cups) of clean water

Note that these expedient rehydration mixtures do not replenish potassium, and usage over long term may result in hypokalemia. To obtain some potassium, 125 ml (4 fl oz) of orange juice or some mashed banana can be added to the mixture.[22]
"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_rehydration_therapy

Thank you, Oware, that saves me from digging around. I would suggest that in place of bananas for potassium, coconut water/juice can be used. Of course, I'm a fiend for cocunut anyway. <g>

Salt substitute preparations containing potassium chloride are commonly available for those who want a clear fluid. Orange juice and tomato juice are far more concentrated sources of potassium, sodium and chlorides than any of the patented drinks, or ors packets. The natural juices have a bit more sugar than needed, remedied by dilution.

If one is relying on sugar to speed up water absorption,
wouldn't fruit sugars be less optimal?

I've read baking soda is preferred over salt if availble. Any truth to that?

HC

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. electrolytes include potassium, sodium, chloride, and HCO3, the bicarbonate ion. the latter is mostly involved in pH, or acid-base balance, which is usually a function of respiratory or kidney performance, rather than exercise or diarrhea. In truth, most folks do not exercise enough to need lytes in the first place, so bicarb relacement is probably not a priority.
When er staff replace electrolytes intravenously in people who desperately need it, they use saline (NaCl solution) or KCl infusion, carefully... Sodium bicarb is pretty much reserved for the later stages of unsuccessful resuscitations.

Great info Mike, thanks.