DIY Energy Drinks: Homemade Recipes & Cost-Effective Alternatives

Did you know that you could mix your very own Gatorade or Powerade? Well, as amazing as it may sound, in this post we will look at how to make your very own energy drink from the comfort of your home. Energy drinks are a fad and people from all walks of life enjoy drinking them. And usually, they are quiet expensive as well.

Go ahead with your read to know how to make energy drink at home!

Ingredients:

• ½ gallon (1.9l) non-carbonated drink (usually any sachet and water based drink will do)
• ½ to 1 daily dose of B-vitamin liquid supplements
• 1 to 2 pinches KCL (Potassium chloride salt substitute)
• 3 pinches table salt.
• Little under 200 mg medical grade caffeine
• Ginseng, or other herbal extracts that you like

Directions:

1. Chose a ½ gallon (1.9l) non-carbonated beverage; usually Tang (or any other powdered mix) and water is a good choice.
2. Add the salt to the water mix.
3. Proceed to add to the KCL salt substitute.
4. Now add the liquid B-vitamin supplements (increase the dosage depending on the amount of drink you are mixing).
5. Now add the medical grade caffeine. Make sure you don’t add more than 200 mg per serving.
6. You can also add the herbal extracts (ginseng etc.) right now.
7. Shake the drink well and set in the fridge to cool down.

Tips:

Although you can have the drink right after mixing it, chilling it can help mask off the flavor of the vitamin supplements and salts.

Caffeine is quite bitter and finding medical grade caffeine is not a simple task. You could just leave it out and take a caffeine supplement. This ensures that you don’t have an overdose, and get the optimal caffeine amount (consider eating caffeine supplements like No-Doz, Vivarin).

When picking commercial energy drinks, always opt for the diet can. Sugarless mixes are not fit to be used for an energy drink. This is because sugar stimulates insulin that is produced by the body, and on being metabolized, you can end up with an insulin low that might leave you enervated.

Cautions:

Now that you know how to make your own energy drink at home, let’s look at some warnings and potential health hazards of this energy drink:

1. Caffeine Overdose:

This can cause many complications including heart arrhythmia, coma. It can sometimes even be fatal. Consume only the recommended amount of caffeine (<200 mg). Unless you use an analytical balance to measure the milligram quantities of substances, don’t estimate any quantities of caffeine. Anything more than the recommended amount would leave you in serious conditions.

2. Check Ingredients Of Base Beverage:

Some beverages like iced tea already contain some caffeine. Pay close attention to the labels to make sure you aren’t adding any unwanted caffeine to your energy drink. Caffeine overdose can be fatal.

3. B-Vitamin Overdose:

Just like deficiencies, too much of B-vitamins can cause overdose and lead to some nasty and distasteful symptoms. Consuming too much Niacin, better known as Vitamin B₃, can lead to skin rashes and significantly raise your core temperature. Make sure you don’t exceed the recommended dosage to ensure that you don’t suffer from an overdose.

4. Inspect Herbs:

The herbs you add, e.g. ginseng or others, have their own set of side effects. Examine each of them and don’t blindly add ingredients to the recipe.

Now that you know how to make energy drink at home, ditch those expensive energy drinks in the market and get started! Depending on your base drink, you can customize your own unique flavor.

And don’t forget to share your experiences with us. Leave a comment below.