Originally Posted by
Carbonfiberboy
I use sports drink every ride, primarily maltodextrin which I buy in bulk, about $60 for 50#. Electrolyte needs are so small that they can easily and cheaply be satisfied by using Hammer Endurolytes.
This is a "it depends" answer. If you are a "salty sweater", you can lose a gram of sodium per liter of sweat, and over 4 or 5 hours that can be substantial. If you look on ultracycling, you'll find that a lot of long distance riders use salt tablets. Endurolytes aren't very good at this.