I have started training to run a Marathon and was wondering if anyone has any home made sports drinks that helps them while training.  I don't want to be spending a lot of money on drinks if i can make one myself by mixing fruit juice and water.  I run with a camelbak on my long runs so any advice would be appreciated

Hi Robert,

Some of the technical drinks for endurance running not only have carbs but replacement of essential salts that are lost, and although you could quite easily get through with a weak fruit drink as it is important not to dehydrate too much (and there are theories on marathon dehydration) it will be the effects after the race in recovery will be the key.

Anyway within a marathon race there is usually a plethora of technical drinks and other goodies being handed around the course to runners, and I do not usually carry drinks with me unless it is a really hot day when the free water usually goes over the head.  

For my long slow runs currently at around 18 miles I usually have a couple of glasses of good old lemon barley water from a well known brand and also another couple of glasses when finished, after that I just sip water for a couple or three hours afterwards.

I sometimes make my own concoction as follows:

2/3 water; 1/3 juice; dash of salt; teaspoon of honey.

If I make 1/2 litre then this will see me run for up to 2hrs with a 1/2 litre recovery drink ready and waiting at the end.

Thanks.  I will maybe experiment with home made and bought to see which gives me the most benefit

I've seen similar recipes somewhere. I wouldn't recommend the 50:50 mix - water is the main thing, the juice does little good beyond flavouring it. I personally find that the acidic fruits (lemon, lime, orange) disagree with me while running, but others are fine with them.

Bear in mind that the body loses various different salts at different rates, Pottassium being the main one if I remember correctly. I know some runners make up a kind of watered-down banana smoothie for that fruits high Potassium levels.

Ditto Steven's Powerade comment, and the same goes for supermarket 'own-brands'. I was lucky enough to pick up a pack of 12 'Red Fruits' Powerade for free at a recent parkrun event!

Thanks everyone.  I noticed today in ALDI that they were selling sports drinks 4 for 1.50, so may buy them after all

I use the cordials from the 'Bottle Green' range, diluted 1 in 12 to make a 6% sugar solution.  To each litre I add a levelled tea-spoon measure of 'Lo Salt', which is 2:1 potassium Chloride:Sodium Chloride.

I used a similar mixture to good effect during ultra-distance races back in the 1970s and find it equally good for recent efforts at the marathon, 100km. 24 hours & 1000km on the C2 rowing machine.