Homemade Electrolyte Drink Calculator
A homemade electrolyte drink is water mixed with sodium, potassium, and magnesium. For a 500ml training bottle, that is about 700mg sodium, 200mg potassium, and 100mg magnesium, or roughly 1/2 teaspoon of salt plus lite salt and a small scoop of magnesium citrate. It costs a few cents per bottle versus about $1.50 for a name-brand stick.
Enter your use case, sweat profile, and bottle size to get an exact recipe with kitchen teaspoon amounts. We call the output your Sweat-Matched Electrolyte Mix.
Step 2: Your Sweat-Matched Electrolyte Mix
Enter your use case, sweat profile, and bottle size and hit calculate. Your sodium, potassium, and magnesium recipe appears here.
Gear up
Ingredients athletes actually buy
Source these once and you have months of electrolyte mix. Test any new recipe in training first.
- Potassium chloride / lite saltCheapest potassium source. Half potassium, half sodium.View on Amazon →
- Magnesium citrate powderDissolves clean, ~160mg elemental Mg per gram.View on Amazon →
- Citric acid powder (food grade)The tart citrus kick in every store-bought mix.View on Amazon →
- Fine sea saltYour sodium base. Pennies per bottle.View on Amazon →
- 0.1g kitchen scaleWorth it for precise dosing without measuring spoons.View on Amazon →
- Reusable drink bottlesPre-batch and carry your mix.View on Amazon →
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Homemade electrolyte drink FAQ
What is in a homemade electrolyte drink?
A homemade electrolyte drink is water plus three minerals: sodium (from table salt or sodium citrate), potassium (from lite salt or potassium citrate), and magnesium (from magnesium citrate powder). A typical training bottle has about 700mg sodium, 200mg potassium, and 100mg magnesium. Citric acid and a pinch of sugar add the familiar tart-sweet flavor.
How do I make an electrolyte drink like LMNT at home?
Match the LMNT ratio: roughly 1000mg sodium, 200mg potassium, and 60mg magnesium per serving. That is about 1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus lite salt for potassium, plus a small scoop of magnesium citrate, in 500ml of water with citric acid for tartness. It costs a few cents versus about $1.50 per LMNT stick.
How much salt should I put in a homemade sports drink?
For training, aim for 500 to 800mg of sodium per 500ml bottle (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of table salt). Salty sweaters and hot-weather racing push that to 1000mg or more per bottle. The calculator scales the salt automatically to your sweat profile and bottle size.
Is a homemade electrolyte drink cheaper than buying one?
Yes, dramatically. Bulk salt, lite salt, and magnesium citrate work out to a few cents per bottle, while name-brand sticks run about $1.50 each. At one serving a day that is roughly $540 a year retail versus a few dollars in raw ingredients.
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Keep this mix in your account to revisit and tweak, or share it with a training partner.
Sign in to saveSee also: Sodium Calculator · Hydration Calculator · DIY electrolyte vs LMNT cost breakdown · Natural electrolyte drink recipe
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