Instead of store-bought sports drinks with high fructose corn syrup and food coloring, try making your own sports drinks. Here are a few recipes I've found.

When my partner was training to run a half marathon last year, she made the following recipe and it worked really well for her. She also made sure to drink a cup of homemade chicken stock with a pinch of sea salt on days she did a long run. Chicken stock is very hydrating and provides lots of minerals.

Sports Drink
adapted from Sally Fallon's "Nourishing Traditions" New Trends Publishing 2001 (p.595)

Ingredients

8 ounces filtered water
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
2-4 Tablespoons of whey
1 Tablespoon rapadura sugar

Basic Sports Drink
By Wendy Bumgardner, About.com
• 1 quart (32 oz) or 1 liter water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• Flavoring to taste - orange juice, lemon juice, etc.
Keep refrigerated.

20-Oz. Sports Bottle's Worth of Sports Drink
By Wendy Bumgardner, About.com
• 3 tablespoons table sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon table salt
• Flavoring to taste - orange juice, lemon juice, etc.
• Fill halfway with water, mix well.
• Top off with water.
Keep refrigerated.

Herbal Sports Drink
by Katherine Huether
Things You’ll Need:
Tea bags (or loose herb) of choice. Herbs to try include stinging nettle, dandelion leaves, peppermint, green tea, mate and ginger
Raw honey or local honey (of different flavors if you want)
Natural fruit juice at health food stores and even in the supermarket.
A pinch of sea salt
Water

Instructions
Step 1:
Choose one tea from the list and place one tea bag or 2 teaspoons of loose herb in a 2 cup glass measuring cup. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and pour into the glass measuring cup. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Step 2:
Remove tea bag or strain out the herb and pour into a glass jar. Add one teaspoon honey and one pinch of salt and stir until dissolved.
Step 3:
Pour 2 cups of the natural fruit juice into glass jar and shake to distribute the flavors. Let the contents cool slightly and then refrigerate until chilled.
Step 4:
Drink 8 to 16 ounces of this sports drink during your workout.