Watermelon Electrolyte Drink – DIY Sports Drink Recipe

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Staying hydrated during the hot summer months is crucial, whether you’re just stepping out for a grocery run, chilling at the beach, or just trying to keep yourself energized for all your workout sessions. This watermelon electrolyte drink is the perfect homemade sports drink that packs in all the essential electrolytes and carbs you need to fuel your workouts and feel more refreshed and energetic.

With just 3 ingredients and a super simple process, you’ll be able to put this refreshing drink together, which you can sip on to tackle fatigue, hydrate your body, and give you that little extra energy you need to keep going.

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Why Do I Need an Electrolyte Drink?

From controlling your body’s fluid balance to regulating your blood pressure, electrolytes do a lot. They help maintain optimum body functions and also assist in the body’s recovery during physical performance, exercise, and even when you’re sick.

But do you really need an electrolyte drink?

Well, it depends. If you’re someone who works out a lot or is just feeling dehydrated during the hot summers, you might benefit from sipping on an electrolyte drink.

Drinking electrolytes while pregnant or while breastfeeding can also be very helpful for maintaining hydration.

Homemade Electrolyte Drinks vs Store Bought

There’s nothing wrong with having commercial sports drinks from time to time. In fact, these drinks are great for keeping your energy levels up, especially when it comes to working out for longer durations.

That said if you’re actively trying to make healthier food choices and move away from artificial colors and flavoring and sweetening agents, choosing a homemade electrolyte drink could be a great idea.

Putting it together can take just a few minutes, and you can also have the flexibility of tweaking and playing around with the ingredients that go into the drink, based on your personal preference.

In addition, opting for a homemade electrolyte drink as opposed to a packaged version comes with many other benefits.

• If you’re trying to cut down on your sugar intake, making your own electrolyte drink can be great. You can choose to use a natural sweetening agent like honey, maple syrup, or brown rice syrup.
• It is perfect for those with allergies, instantly slashing the risk of any potential exposure to an allergen.
• It’ll actually leave you feeling refreshed and energetic as opposed to giving you that instant sugar spike followed by a crash that you’ll usually find in sports drinks that have added sugar and artificial sweeteners.
• It offers rapid hydration and restores electrolyte balance without the added sodium citrate that you’ll usually find in packaged electrolyte drinks.
• It has a great taste and a natural watermelon flavor that’s perfect for hot days.

Ingredients For the Watermelon Electrolyte Drink

Here’s what you’ll need to make this homemade electrolyte drink:

Watermelon – Watermelon is an incredibly refreshing summer fruit and has a certain natural sweetness too, which makes it the perfect choice for this drink.

Electrolyte powder – I used Majka’s Hydration Booster as the key ingredient. It has an innovative formula that packs in essential and natural electrolytes and trace minerals.

Filtered water – A glass of chilled filtered water forms the base for this drink.

Optional add-ons – Based on your taste preferences and what you have at hand, you can also choose to add some lemon or lime juice, a pinch of salt, some mint leaves, or coconut water into the drink.

Why Watermelon?

You may be wondering why watermelon stands out and makes an appearance in so many summer drinks as opposed to other fruits. Well, it turns out, this juicy fruit is chock full of vitamin C, and nutrients and makes for the perfect ingredient for your homemade electrolyte drink.

A study in 2016 has, in fact, linked the consumption of watermelon to improved exercise performance, endurance, and increased antioxidant capacity, almost as effective as a 6% CHO beverage.

Watermelon is a rich source of L-citrulline, which is an amino acid that has been linked to exercise recovery. A study also found that consuming watermelon juice enhanced with L-citrulline considerably helped reduce muscle cramps and soreness even after a half marathon.

How to Make this Electrolyte Drink with Watermelon

Making the homemade watermelon electrolyte drink is super easy.

● All you need to do is chop up some fresh watermelon into bite-sized chunks- you’ll need about 1 cup.

● In a large sipper or a glass, mix 1 scoop of this Hydration Booster (or your favorite electrolyte powder!) with about 32 oz of water, until it dissolves well.

● Then, simply add the watermelon chunks in, and give it all a good mix.

You can then serve this in a mason jar or your favorite tumbler.

How Do I Serve the Watermelon Electrolyte Drink?

Your homemade watermelon drink can be enjoyed as is- you don’t need to put in any extra effort. The drink tastes best when served fresh, so I would highly recommend making it right when you want to drink it.

That said, you can store any leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days. The watermelon flavor will intensify over time, but the chunks will become less plump.

You can also choose to top the drink with a few sprigs of fresh mint for some added freshness.

Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe

While making this electrolyte drink is pretty easy, you might want to note down these little variation ideas and tips too.

• Want more watermelon flavor, puree your fresh watermelon and then add it to the mix.
• For a short cut, buy watermelon already chopped up. Many grocers carry it all year round in the refrigerated produce section.
• To make this drink even more hydrating and electrolyte-rich, you can add some freshly squeezed lemon juice into it as well.
• If you don’t have the electrolyte powder I used for this recipe, you could also use coconut water as the base instead of filtered water.
• If you’re planning on making this electrolyte water to sip on during an intense workout session, you might benefit from adding an additional sweetening agent like honey, monk fruit extract, organic stevia extract, or maple syrup.
• I would also recommend adding a pinch of pink Himalayan salt to the drink for that added flavor. And remember- sodium is also an electrolyte and is actually essential for your body.

With all-natural ingredients and no added sweeteners, this watermelon electrolyte drink is a great gluten-free hydration option. Especially if you are getting started with clean eating and looking for healthy drink options!

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