Who do we like for hydration drinks/powders?

[Tensaw]

In honor of it being 80-damn degrees on New Years Eve, I am looking for suggestions for electrolyte drinks and powders. Two categories: powders that are commercially sold that you just dump in your water and then any sort of homemade concoction that works.

I find I operate much better on no sugar/low carb food so anything that fits in that category is a plus. Good taste is always appreciated, but I can forego taste for no sugar and effectiveness.

I tried some “Liquid IV” today and was not overly impressed. Been looking at Oral IV.

What say ye?

[Yung]

Mike Doyle once brought DripDrop ORS (https://www.dripdrop.com/) for myself and other students taking a class with Cecil Burch.
At some point in another class Annette Evans brought nuun (https://nuunlife.com/) in packet form.
Both were sponsored by the respective products they had.

When I used to work outside and in hotter conditions more often a few years ago, I personally went through a lot of Sqwincher Zero packets, mostly because I prefer orange flavoring and the Tang Sport powder that I enjoyed during deployments has been discontinued to the best of my knowledge.

[Jason M]

Im have been using this for a few months and really like it, The orange, citrus, and watermelon flavors are delicious.

https://drinklmnt.com/

I’m currently on my ass with the “Rona. These are keeping me interested in water and helping to maintain good hydration.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I've used the Pedialyte version for adults lately. Target carries it. I also take a bottle of orange juice and a water. My doc put me on the baby stuff when I had the reign of death food poisoning a few years ago. Works for babies, worked for me.

[texasaggie2005]

I use DripDrop mostly, typically 1:4 ratio with plain water. Has worked well for me in SE Texas summers doing some fairly extreme outdoor events.

[rd62]

I like Kaged Muscle's HydraCharge. Its what I use during workouts.

[peterb]

I’ve had good experience with Skratch for long multi-bottle bike rides. More salts and less sugar than many commercial sports drinks, no colors, real fruit.
https://www.skratchlabs.com/products/sport-hydration-drink-mix?variant=32766105157703

[Cookie Monster]

Skratch Labs for electrolyte drink, Tailwind for a carbohydrate drink, both offer varieties with added caffeine.

Both have treated me well and much better than Gatorade or other chemicals filled old school stuff.

[Coyotesfan97]

I like Nuun powders and tablets.

[Crawls]

Nuun Sport tabs are my go to when cycling. I like the portability, ease of use and flavor/caffeine choices. Really like the Skratch Labs mix as well but it is on the pricier side and carrying enough packets for an all day warm weather ride takes up a lot more space.
I recently tried a couple mapleaid packets from Untapped and thought it was rather unpalatable.

[UncleGabby]

I use Pedialyte and Liquid IV. At work (I’m a firefighter) I use them daily in the summer. I limit myself to one or at most two servings, spread throughout the day.

I have heard stories of people getting messed up from drinking too much of this stuff. Last year, a Captain from a neighboring department told me one of her firefighters developed a messed up heart rhythm after drinking nothing but Pedialyte for 24 hours. Seemed like a dumb idea to drink nothing but Pedialyte anyway.

Fast forward to a few months ago I was talking to a Doctor who works with one of the regional Urban Search and Rescue teams, and he said one of his guys got messed up in Miami at the apartment building collapse from drinking nothing but Liquid IV. I asked him about the intelligence of drinking nothing but electrolyte replacement drinks, he said it was so hot that guys were drinking a gallon and a half of fluids a day and still only urinating once every 24 hours. He said they switched to DripDrop and cut the dose in half, and nobody else had ill effects but thought any of those drinks would probably have negative effects if that’s all you drank.

[TGS]

DripDrop ORS, hands down.

[peterb]

I use Pedialyte and Liquid IV. At work (I’m a firefighter) I use them daily in the summer. I limit myself to one or at most two servings, spread throughout the day.

I have heard stories of people getting messed up from drinking too much of this stuff. Last year, a Captain from a neighboring department told me one of her firefighters developed a messed up heart rhythm after drinking nothing but Pedialyte for 24 hours. Seemed like a dumb idea to drink nothing but Pedialyte anyway.

Fast forward to a few months ago I was talking to a Doctor who works with one of the regional Urban Search and Rescue teams, and he said one of his guys got messed up in Miami at the apartment building collapse from drinking nothing but Liquid IV. I asked him about the intelligence of drinking nothing but electrolyte replacement drinks, he said it was so hot that guys were drinking a gallon and a half of fluids a day and still only urinating once every 24 hours. He said they switched to DripDrop and cut the dose in half, and nobody else had ill effects but thought any of those drinks would probably have negative effects if that’s all you drank.

The point is to replace what you loose, not to unbalance yourself. It requires some self-awareness of fluid input/output, sweat volume & salinity, etc. I can taste that the sweat dripping down my face gets saltier if I have several bottles of Skratch at full concentration, so I mix it slightly diluted or alternate with plain water. I’m not surprised that someone could have cardiac symptoms if they badly screwed up their sodium & potassium levels.

Sweat composition and the need for electrolyte replacement varies widely by individual. One source gives the normal range as 400-1200mg of sodium/liter. It’s common now for pro cycling teams to do sweat analysis for each rider so they can tailor their bottles for optimal replacement.

FWIW, it looks like Skratch and DripDrop have the roughly the same sodium content per serving, but DripDrop has half the sugar. Nuun is convenient and sugar-free but I don’t like the taste of stevia. If I’m doing a big ride the calories from the sugar are not a concern.

For convenience and cost, I buy the big multi-serving bags and make my own single-serving packages using 2x3” ziplock bags.

There are also electrolyte tablets and capsules such as s!caps. https://www.succeedscaps.com/succeed-buffer-electrolyte-caps/
I got some to try but don’t have enough experience to offer an opinion.

[nycnoob]

about five years ago, I took a rifle class in Ohio and there was a brain surgeon in the class,
He recommended VitaLyte https://vitalyte.com/collections/shop-vitalyte

its available at REI and by mail. I have been using it since.

"Recommended by brain surgeons (well at least one)"

[peterb]

One more thought: Salt you eat counts towards your electrolyte balance. If you’re eating high-sodium foods — most fast foods, instant noodles, etc. — you may not need much or any in what you drink.

It makes sense that folks on-scene eating burgers and fries and pizza and slamming sports drinks could get screwed up.

[octagon]

I used to do the off the shelf pre made drinks like Gatoraid and the like. Tried Pedialite but after finding LMNT recommended from a Keto no sugar and balanced electrolyte standpoint I haven't looked back. They are nice too for small packets individual size that are easy to poor and take anywhere without repackaging or taking up space. I prefer the fruit flavors or plain. The chocolate and Hot pepper versions are not my taste.

[TGS]

One more thought: Salt you eat counts towards your electrolyte balance. If you’re eating high-sodium foods — most fast foods, instant noodles, etc. — you may not need much or any in what you drink.

It makes sense that folks on-scene eating burgers and fries and pizza and slamming sports drinks could get screwed up.

Yes.

A lot of people use oral rehydration supplements way too liberally. Unless you're in extreme conditions for prolonged periods of time, they're usually unnecessary if you're eating 3 meals a day, and even still are not meant to serve as your primary source of hydration.

ETA: That, and misuse of the supplement, like diluting it down and drinking it slowly throughout the day. That doesn't engage the same physiological response of how they're meant to be used, at a specific ratio, consumed within a limited window of time.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Eric Lamberson (shoots in the San Antonio area) and runs a great short range match - wrote about how he was taking down at home with cramps from dehydration. Knocked him down. I've had bouts of those after too much TX heat. So what is the best thing to do when they hit you?

Once that happened, I paid lots of attention to hydration at TX matches in the heat and at classes.

[revchuck38]

I don't use electrolyte stuff during daily life since there's enough salt in your food. I just drink water. (And coffee...)

On the bike, I typically use Infinit Go Far (https://www.infinitnutrition.us/go-far-endurance-fuel). I usually go through a 26-oz. bottle/hour. I'm good up to about 6-7 hours with that. Longer than that, I need to switch to salty/savory stuff due to getting burned out on sugar.

On longer (2+ hours) runs, I drink straight water and modulate my electrolyte intake based on my sweat rate. I get enough from gels and chews during cooler weather, but during the Louisiana summer, I go through a shitload of extra-salty pretzels.

During hot weather but low-effort activity like, say, a shooting class, I might have a bottle of Gatorade in the morning and the afternoon, or not. I just make sure I go through at least a half-liter bottle of water each hour and bring lots extra.

[UNM1136]

I likely drank the Kool-aid, but post hard workout I like pickle brine. Just a couple of ounces. I don't use the expensive prepackaged supplement. I like pickles on my sandwiches, so I just do a shooter of the brine. When I buy pickles I add a couple of crushed cloves of garlic, some black peppercorns, and a couple of dried red chiles and let them pick up the flavors and make yummy sandwiches. I do it with dills and sweet pickles. Sometimes homemade pickles. When the jar is out of pickles I add a bit of potassium chloride as I finish the brine.

I drink a good bit of water preworkout. Usually a litre, followed by my beet based preworkout drink. The latter was recommended by my doc as I am trying to use exercise and diet to control my BP before trying meds. Seems to be working.

I also like extra dirty martinis with extra olives on the rocks.

I have also believed that electrolite replenishment for the most part is way overblown in a first world country. When I was running marathons I alternated water and 'aid at each station, and on half marathons I alternated nothing, water, and 'aide. Diluting sports drinks with water has been the recommendations for heat casualties since I was running EMS almost 30 years ago.

pat

[Nephrology]

Pedialyte if you can choke it down.... I cannot.


Yes.

A lot of people use oral rehydration supplements way too liberally. Unless you're in extreme conditions for prolonged periods of time, they're usually unnecessary if you're eating 3 meals a day, and even still are not meant to serve as your primary source of hydration.

ETA: That, and misuse of the supplement, like diluting it down and drinking it slowly throughout the day. That doesn't engage the same physiological response of how they're meant to be used, at a specific ratio, consumed within a limited window of time.

Yeah this. It turns out evolution did a pretty good job with the kidney (don't mean to brag or anything :cool:). When you are dry you will feel thirst. Water does a great job at fixing that. Barring underlying heart/kidney disease, your body will hold onto all of the salt it needs until you are volume re-expanded.

Pedialyte and similar are really best used for intractable diarrhea. The sugar in these drinks helps your gut take up salt that it is otherwise wasting because of the cytotoxic effect of GI bugs on your colonic mucosa. Gatorade works too but not quite as well per oz so you have to drink a lot more. Expect interesting colors in the toilet bowl.

[RevolverRob]

I like mother nature for hydration. The key to avoiding dehydration is to be properly hydrated in advance of serious sweat output.

If you're drinking heavily, straight liquor, without mixers (the sugar fucks you up worse) - balance each drink with equivalent amount of water. Drink in moderation.

[Risto]

I likely drank the Kool-aid, but post hard workout I like pickle brine. Just a couple of ounces. I don't use the expensive prepackaged supplement. I like pickles on my sandwiches, so I just do a shooter of the brine. When I buy pickles I add a couple of crushed cloves of garlic, some black peppercorns, and a couple of dried red chiles and let them pick up the flavors and make yummy sandwiches. I do it with dills and sweet pickles. Sometimes homemade pickles. When the jar is out of pickles I add a bit of potassium chloride as I finish the brine.

I drink a good bit of water preworkout. Usually a litre, followed by my beet based preworkout drink. The latter was recommended by my doc as I am trying to use exercise and diet to control my BP before trying meds. Seems to be working.

I also like extra dirty martinis with extra olives on the rocks.

I have also believed that electrolite replenishment for the most part is way overblown in a first world country. When I was running marathons I alternated water and 'aid at each station, and on half marathons I alternated nothing, water, and 'aide. Diluting sports drinks with water has been the recommendations for heat casualties since I was running EMS almost 30 years ago.

pat

Which beet supplement are you using? I’ve tried a few but the one I like (beet elite) is getting harder to find at reasonable prices.

[UNM1136]

Which beet supplement are you using? I’ve tried a few but the one I like (beet elite) is getting harder to find at reasonable prices.

Power Beets from Sam's Club. $27.00 for 60 servings. I like Beet Elite, too, but way espensive around here. High glycemic enough to mix with creatine.

pat

[Nephrology]

For what it's worth there is an age-driven effect of high blood pressure. Highly recommend lifestyle as first attempt as you get many other benefits too, but at some point age often wins. Most people do well on a low dose of a single BP med. Highly recommend amlodipine as it has a great effect/side effect ratio, unless you also have diabetes in which case there is good evidence for an ACE inhibitor (eg lisinopril) or an ARB (losartan)

[AlwaysLearning]

https://rehydrate.org/solutions/homemade.htm



The "Simple Solution" - Home made Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) Recipe

Preparing 1 (one) Litre solution using Salt, Sugar and Water at Home Mix an oral rehydration solution using the following recipe. Ingredients:

Six (6) level teaspoons of Sugar
Half (1/2) level teaspoon of Salt
One Litre of clean drinking or boiled water and then cooled - 5 cupfuls (each cup about 200 ml.)

Back when I was young, I found this useful when training in an un-air conditioned gym in 95 F + weather. Way cheaper than Pedialyte and basically as effective.

[RoyGBiv]

Zero experience. Woot (https://cc.techbargains.com/v1/otc/06LJoHfGQoCuYdVtZVoTdgY?merchant=05kie42h3YvHwjr4G 1w80Qq&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdeal%2F044f91b3 %3FshowVariations%3Dtrue&i=deal_name&e=deal_tile&p=14&m=deals_list&t=homepage).

[Nephrology]

https://rehydrate.org/solutions/homemade.htm




Back when I was young, I found this useful when training in an un-air conditioned gym in 95 F + weather. Way cheaper than Pedialyte and basically as effective.

That’s the stuff

[peterb]

Gatorade works too but not quite as well per oz so you have to drink a lot more. Expect interesting colors in the toilet bowl.

Another reason to prefer drinks without coloring. ;-)

Gatorade Fruit Punch flavor:
WATER, SUGAR, DEXTROSE, CITRIC ACID, SALT, SODIUM CITRATE, MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, NATURAL FLAVOR, GLYCEROL ESTER OF ROSIN, RED 40, CARAMEL COLOR

There are better options.

[vcdgrips]

When I am lazy, I tend to go 1 liter of water, for every 1 liter of store bought, 1 Pepsi max soda at lunch and the pattern repeats itself.

At Philmont, it was 2 liters of water for every 1 liter of flavored (Gatorade) and so on. “Clear and copious” output was the stated goal.

At Gunsite in June IIRC, it was 1 liter of water, 1 liter of their Gatorade mix which was about 1/2 strength and alternate. They of course had toilets right off the range with a color chart on the wall.

When I plan for a 3+ day class in MO/OK/KS in July-October I use 1 liter water then 2 liters Gookinaide/Vitylyte, 1 soda for lunch and repeat in the afternoon for 126-196. oz of total fluid intake during the shooting day.

[peterb]

At Philmont, it was 2 liters of water for every 1 liter of flavored (Gatorade) and so on. “Clear and copious” output was the stated goal.

At Gunsite in June IIRC, it was 1 liter of water, 1 liter of their Gatorade mix which was about 1/2 strength and alternate. They of course had toilets right off the range with a color chart on the wall.

Those made me smile thinking of all the standard EMT/WEMT assessment questions about output. “When did you last pee? How much? What color?” and so on…

When I used to do work trips to the Southwest in summer, I saw other Easterners have trouble because they were used to judging their water loss by how sweaty their clothes were. They didn’t realize that in 10% humidity your shirt can stay perfectly dry right up to the point that you fall over from dehydration.

[Tensaw]

Those made me smile thinking of all the standard EMT/WEMT assessment questions about output. “When did you last pee? How much? What color?” and so on…

When I used to do work trips to the Southwest in summer, I saw other Easterners have trouble because they were used to judging their water loss by how sweaty their clothes were. They didn’t realize that in 10% humidity your shirt can stay perfectly dry right up to the point that you fall over from dehydration.

Tru dat. As a guy who has lived in coastal AL/MS for over 50 years, Arizona in the summer was,... interesting. The triple digit temps were well-tolerated (even though it felt like my skin was, literally, on fire at times), but I had to force myself to keep knocking back water. The misery index for summer in AL/MS far outstrips western states due to the humidity. I watched more than a couple folks from the west just absolutely suck wind at firearms classes here in the south.

As the OP, I’m not looking to kill this thread, but it has already exceeded expectations. Got some powders coming for experimentation. Thanks guys.

[orionz06]

Im have been using this for a few months and really like it, The orange, citrus, and watermelon flavors are delicious.

https://drinklmnt.com/

I’m currently on my ass with the “Rona. These are keeping me interested in water and helping to maintain good hydration.

This stuff has been great, both as a normal hydration enhancer and as an on the road, drank way too damned much next morning recovery aid.