DIY Sports Drink Calculator

Your details

Used to scale sweat rate and total fluid loss for your body size.
kg
Total time you will be training or racing.
min
Higher intensity means a higher sweat rate and greater fluid and sodium needs.
Heat and humidity increase sweat rate significantly.
Isotonic matches body fluid concentration and is the go-to for most endurance events. Hypotonic absorbs fastest; hypertonic delivers more carbs but slows gastric emptying.
White sugar is 100% carbs and mixes easily. Honey adds trace minerals and a slight flavour but is denser - the calculator adjusts amounts automatically.
Potassium chloride (sold as No Salt or Nu-Salt) is optional for sessions under 2 hours but can help prevent cramps in long or hot events.
Fresh lemon juice adds flavour and a small amount of potassium. Shown in the recipe as tablespoons.
The recipe is scaled to this single serving. For a full workout you may need multiple bottles - the schedule shows per-bottle breakdowns.
mL
Fluid to drinkHigh hydration need
1.08

Target intake (replacing ~80% of losses is the safe in-event target)

Estimated sweat loss1.35
Carbs needed (whole session)64.8
Sodium needed (whole session)540
Sweetener per bottle46.3
Salt per bottle0.98
No Salt (KCl) per bottle0
Lemon juice per bottle30
Calories per bottle192
DIY cost per bottle0.29
Saved vs. Gatorade per session0.89
Bottles needed for session1.4
Sodium per bottle386
Carbs per bottle46.3
Fluid needed (L)1.08
Sweat loss (L)1.35

Drink 1.08 L across 2 bottle(s) during your 90-minute session.

  • Your estimated sweat loss is 1.35 L - aim to drink about 1.08 L (80% of losses) to stay safe during the session.
  • You need roughly 65 g of carbohydrate and 540 mg of sodium for this session - easily covered by 2 bottle(s) of this recipe.
  • Making your own drink saves roughly $0.89 compared to buying an equivalent volume of commercial sports drink for this session.

Next stepIsotonic drinks are the most versatile choice for general endurance training and racing. Mix your bottle the night before to let the salt dissolve fully.

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