rm -rf

What about minerals other than sodium and potassium?

I see some of these list calcium and magnesium (and vitamins, which sounds like marketing to me.) Is calcium and magnesium replacement needed during a ride? I don't know.

Potassium
Bananas are recommended as an exercise food, because they are high in potassium. (google says 400 mg potassium, 1 mg sodium). But most of these mixes have way more sodium than potassium. And the ratios are quite different between brands.
So how much potassium?

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Home made drink mix
I agree with Biker395, too. I want flavor, calories, and sodium on long rides.
I can't stand the taste of gatorade. I've been making my own mix for years, mixed together and stored in a small plastic container:

2.5 cups sugar
0.5 tbsp salt ( 0.5 tbsp is 1.5 teaspoons)
0.5 tbsp "lite salt", which contains, in 1/4 tsp: 290 mg sodium and 350 mg potassium
4 packs of kool aid "natural lemon"

Two level tablespoons of the mix per bottle (20 servings per recipe):
100 calories
260 mg sodium (or 175 mg if 1 teaspoon of each, instead of 1.5 teaspoons)
105 mg potassium (or 70 mg if 1 teaspoon of each)

For a 22 ounce bottle, this tastes fairly diluted, not like a soft drink or a lemonade.


Compared to products mentioned in this thread:

Gatorade (for 12 ounces!)
80 calories
160 mg sodium
45 mg potassium

Skratch Labs (mix makes 16 ounces)
80 calories
360 mg sodium
40 mg potassium

tailwindnutrition.com (size varies... "2-3 scoops" per bottle, depending.)
100 calories
303 mg sodium
88 mg potassium

nuun tablet (per bottle)
10 calories
360 mg sodium
100 mg potassium
25 mg magnesium
13 mg calcium