electrolyte on cheap
07-24-20, 06:21 PM
#1
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electrolyte on cheap
what be a good quality electrolyte but good price
gaterade bit too sugar but cheap and works
i love nuun and fizz
but those are 8 dollars a roll
i like the tablets. just work so well
anyone suggest a good one that wont break the bank
gaterade bit too sugar but cheap and works
i love nuun and fizz
but those are 8 dollars a roll
i like the tablets. just work so well
anyone suggest a good one that wont break the bank
07-24-20, 06:32 PM
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Vitalyte. Google the name. The stuff's good, it works and it's been around forever. They've always had a low budget. Very little marketing. Their customers don't go away. (I started in 1975,)
The stuff works as well as anything I've ever had. Never made me sick. Tastes clean. Not as convenient as a tablet but I have made up 2-scoop sandwich bags for long days.
$19 (US) for a resealable pouch good for 80 "servings" or 40 water bottles. I think their serving is 8 oz. 2 scoops per whatever WB I use works out really well for me. Just received 3 pouches from them. The promised 2-day delivery took 3. At this time, I'm not going to complain. (I got their E-mail that it went out Monday.)
Ben
The stuff works as well as anything I've ever had. Never made me sick. Tastes clean. Not as convenient as a tablet but I have made up 2-scoop sandwich bags for long days.
$19 (US) for a resealable pouch good for 80 "servings" or 40 water bottles. I think their serving is 8 oz. 2 scoops per whatever WB I use works out really well for me. Just received 3 pouches from them. The promised 2-day delivery took 3. At this time, I'm not going to complain. (I got their E-mail that it went out Monday.)
Ben
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07-24-20, 06:59 PM
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Sea salt
07-24-20, 08:43 PM
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A bottle of Endurolytes lasts me about a year.
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07-24-20, 09:07 PM
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07-24-20, 09:14 PM
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07-25-20, 01:57 AM
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Propel, from the Gatorade company. Comes in little Mylar stick envelopes. Doesn't taste great but it works and is the cheapest ready made electrolyte mix I've found, at around $3 for a box of 8 packets.
But I mostly use DripDrop. By far the best I've tried. I've been on both sides of the issue, as a Navy Hospital Corpsman tending to Marines, and as an athlete suffering from cramps and heat exhaustion. DripDrop ORS claims to be an orally administered equivalent to an IV solution and, having treated people with it who've suffered heat exhaustion, I'd say it works exactly as claimed. If the person/patient is still capable of swallowing liquids, this stuff will work.
I'm such a fan of the stuff I bought a bulk pack for a friend who runs a business that requires working in the heat. He and his contractors keep it in their work trucks for emergencies, and all three guys have said they've used it and it works better than the various ready made sports drinks from the convenience store.
No magical ingredients, but they've nailed the perfect blend for relieving and preventing dehydration and heat exhaustion related problems. Read the tech stuff on the DripDrop website to see their rationale for why electrolytes *should* include a certain amount of sugar to ensure absorption.
DripDrop ain't cheap, but it's no more expensive than NUUN and many other premium brand electrolytes. And occasionally it's discounted. I buy it either from Amazon in bulk, or at the beginning of the month at Walgreen's when they discount many nutritional items (they keep it in the baby aisle).
Propel and DripDrop come in waterproof Mylar single serving stick envelopes that will fit anywhere. I stuff 'em in my saddle bags. Even the minimalist Lezyne Road Caddy has room for one. Heck, if you don't use a saddle bag of any kind, those little envelopes will fit a jersey pocket, sock, or inside the elastic waistband or hem of your shorts or bibs. That's where I stash empty gel and Clif bar packets and never notice 'em until I get home and wonder "Why is there an empty gel packet on the floor oh right I remember."
Just to keep my opinions honest I recently bought some NUUN tablets again because Kroger just started stocking the stuff. It just reminded me why I quit buying NUUN a couple of years ago. It's chalky, never fully dissolves, doesn't taste great, doesn't work particularly well, is overpriced and the plastic tube doesn't fit my tiny saddle bags.
Some folks brew their own from magnesium salts, maltodextrin, etc., but the trick is getting the amount of sugar just right to ensure rapid absorption of water.
The reason I stress this is because I've tended to a victim of heat stroke who had done everything wrong based on well meaning bad advice. She took salt tablets in addition to a popular but less effective electrolyte mix (might have been NUUN or Hammer, I don't recall now). I stopped when I noticed her flop unconscious off her bike and vomiting water. Her friends weren't sure what to do. She couldn't keep plain water down. I mixed a packet of DripDrop in plain cold water. She sipped it and was fine within 15 minutes.
And DON'T take plain salt tablets. I dunno why that bad advice persists. Even in the 1970s when I was a Navy Corpsman we knew better but some of the old timers from the Korean War era who were trainers still pushed salt tablets. Same guys who discouraged Marines from drinking water on a long hot march in full gear and packs, despite the horrific risk of dehydration. Some "experts" never bother to keep up with new info in science journals. Fortunately most of our teachers were younger, hipper and better informed.
If you can duplicate the DripDrop blend, go for it. I haven't bothered because the little Mylar stick envelopes are handy. And the taste is decent -- bland, inoffensive, no bitterness or artificial taste. I usually dilute it more than recommended, in 24 oz water rather than 8-12 oz. I find it's more palatable when diluted a bit more than suggested. The watermelon flavor is pretty amusing, not bad at all. I suspect the psychological impact of tasting watermelon flavor reminds us of refreshing cold watermelon slices in summer, so there's a subtle psychological nudge that helps.
But I mostly use DripDrop. By far the best I've tried. I've been on both sides of the issue, as a Navy Hospital Corpsman tending to Marines, and as an athlete suffering from cramps and heat exhaustion. DripDrop ORS claims to be an orally administered equivalent to an IV solution and, having treated people with it who've suffered heat exhaustion, I'd say it works exactly as claimed. If the person/patient is still capable of swallowing liquids, this stuff will work.
I'm such a fan of the stuff I bought a bulk pack for a friend who runs a business that requires working in the heat. He and his contractors keep it in their work trucks for emergencies, and all three guys have said they've used it and it works better than the various ready made sports drinks from the convenience store.
No magical ingredients, but they've nailed the perfect blend for relieving and preventing dehydration and heat exhaustion related problems. Read the tech stuff on the DripDrop website to see their rationale for why electrolytes *should* include a certain amount of sugar to ensure absorption.
DripDrop ain't cheap, but it's no more expensive than NUUN and many other premium brand electrolytes. And occasionally it's discounted. I buy it either from Amazon in bulk, or at the beginning of the month at Walgreen's when they discount many nutritional items (they keep it in the baby aisle).
Propel and DripDrop come in waterproof Mylar single serving stick envelopes that will fit anywhere. I stuff 'em in my saddle bags. Even the minimalist Lezyne Road Caddy has room for one. Heck, if you don't use a saddle bag of any kind, those little envelopes will fit a jersey pocket, sock, or inside the elastic waistband or hem of your shorts or bibs. That's where I stash empty gel and Clif bar packets and never notice 'em until I get home and wonder "Why is there an empty gel packet on the floor oh right I remember."
Just to keep my opinions honest I recently bought some NUUN tablets again because Kroger just started stocking the stuff. It just reminded me why I quit buying NUUN a couple of years ago. It's chalky, never fully dissolves, doesn't taste great, doesn't work particularly well, is overpriced and the plastic tube doesn't fit my tiny saddle bags.
Some folks brew their own from magnesium salts, maltodextrin, etc., but the trick is getting the amount of sugar just right to ensure rapid absorption of water.
The reason I stress this is because I've tended to a victim of heat stroke who had done everything wrong based on well meaning bad advice. She took salt tablets in addition to a popular but less effective electrolyte mix (might have been NUUN or Hammer, I don't recall now). I stopped when I noticed her flop unconscious off her bike and vomiting water. Her friends weren't sure what to do. She couldn't keep plain water down. I mixed a packet of DripDrop in plain cold water. She sipped it and was fine within 15 minutes.
And DON'T take plain salt tablets. I dunno why that bad advice persists. Even in the 1970s when I was a Navy Corpsman we knew better but some of the old timers from the Korean War era who were trainers still pushed salt tablets. Same guys who discouraged Marines from drinking water on a long hot march in full gear and packs, despite the horrific risk of dehydration. Some "experts" never bother to keep up with new info in science journals. Fortunately most of our teachers were younger, hipper and better informed.
If you can duplicate the DripDrop blend, go for it. I haven't bothered because the little Mylar stick envelopes are handy. And the taste is decent -- bland, inoffensive, no bitterness or artificial taste. I usually dilute it more than recommended, in 24 oz water rather than 8-12 oz. I find it's more palatable when diluted a bit more than suggested. The watermelon flavor is pretty amusing, not bad at all. I suspect the psychological impact of tasting watermelon flavor reminds us of refreshing cold watermelon slices in summer, so there's a subtle psychological nudge that helps.
07-25-20, 10:41 AM
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Table salt. Lite salt. Most anything sodium, or chlorides. Lite salt does give you a variety of electrolytes. And as mentioned above simple baking soda. Which has.... sodium, and might also help with any that have indigestion issues while riding since it is bicarbonate of soda <grin>.
Some can make your drink taste dry or astringent. You don't have to drink electrolytes either. Some foods naturally have electrolytes Candy bars and power bars too. And you can just take a tablet.
I too use Hammer's Endurolytes. I prefer that powder and mix with my drink. But it does make it taste a little dry to some, like my son. I use the capsules too, but tend to keep them just for certain times since I don't like to fish around for them in my pockets while riding.
And yes, some forms of electrolytes are hard to dissolve in water and add to even more chalky taste. However I've become quite fond of chewing on them when I come to the bottom of my bottle on a ride. Sort of like chewing ice gets to be a enjoying habit for some of us.
Some can make your drink taste dry or astringent. You don't have to drink electrolytes either. Some foods naturally have electrolytes Candy bars and power bars too. And you can just take a tablet.
I too use Hammer's Endurolytes. I prefer that powder and mix with my drink. But it does make it taste a little dry to some, like my son. I use the capsules too, but tend to keep them just for certain times since I don't like to fish around for them in my pockets while riding.
And yes, some forms of electrolytes are hard to dissolve in water and add to even more chalky taste. However I've become quite fond of chewing on them when I come to the bottom of my bottle on a ride. Sort of like chewing ice gets to be a enjoying habit for some of us.
Last edited by Iride01; 07-25-20 at 10:44 AM.
07-25-20, 01:36 PM
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Miss Vickies Salt and Vinegar chips are cheap and delicious and will provide all the electrolytes that your body needs. The only thing is that you need to stop, personally I don't have a problem with stopping for 5 or 10 minutes.and enjoying a snack.
07-25-20, 03:14 PM
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Table salt. Lite salt. Most anything sodium, or chlorides. Lite salt does give you a variety of electrolytes. And as mentioned above simple baking soda. Which has.... sodium, and might also help with any that have indigestion issues while riding since it is bicarbonate of soda <grin>.
Some can make your drink taste dry or astringent. You don't have to drink electrolytes either. Some foods naturally have electrolytes Candy bars and power bars too. And you can just take a tablet.
Some can make your drink taste dry or astringent. You don't have to drink electrolytes either. Some foods naturally have electrolytes Candy bars and power bars too. And you can just take a tablet.
Fritos are pretty good as a snack on hot days, just make sure you've got plenty of water to wash them down. Or a V-8 from a convenience store; I think they're great when I need salt and the can or bottle is cold, otherwise, it's awful.
07-25-20, 03:26 PM
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Table salt. Lite salt. Most anything sodium, or chlorides. Lite salt does give you a variety of electrolytes. And as mentioned above simple baking soda. Which has.... sodium, and might also help with any that have indigestion issues while riding since it is bicarbonate of soda <grin>.
Some can make your drink taste dry or astringent. You don't have to drink electrolytes either. Some foods naturally have electrolytes Candy bars and power bars too. And you can just take a tablet.
I too use Hammer's Endurolytes. I prefer that powder and mix with my drink. But it does make it taste a little dry to some, like my son. I use the capsules too, but tend to keep them just for certain times since I don't like to fish around for them in my pockets while riding.
And yes, some forms of electrolytes are hard to dissolve in water and add to even more chalky taste. However I've become quite fond of chewing on them when I come to the bottom of my bottle on a ride. Sort of like chewing ice gets to be a enjoying habit for some of us.
Some can make your drink taste dry or astringent. You don't have to drink electrolytes either. Some foods naturally have electrolytes Candy bars and power bars too. And you can just take a tablet.
I too use Hammer's Endurolytes. I prefer that powder and mix with my drink. But it does make it taste a little dry to some, like my son. I use the capsules too, but tend to keep them just for certain times since I don't like to fish around for them in my pockets while riding.
And yes, some forms of electrolytes are hard to dissolve in water and add to even more chalky taste. However I've become quite fond of chewing on them when I come to the bottom of my bottle on a ride. Sort of like chewing ice gets to be a enjoying habit for some of us.
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07-25-20, 03:44 PM
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About 8 parts water to 1 part Apple cider vinegar and add a little salt and honey to taste. My understanding is the Roman Army had a drink that was similar and they did alright.
07-25-20, 03:45 PM
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canklecat, your experience with DripDrop sounds a lot like mine with Vitalyte and what I've read. Vitalyte stayed popular with the 3rd world relief teams for victims of cholera, dysentary and severe dehydration in the '90s when it disappeared from the shelves. (It was then under a different name. Started as Gookinaid (after the founder. a biochemist/marathon runner after dropping out of the Olympic qualifier on a very hot day, sick from GatorAid) or E.R.G. Two or more names later, it's Vitalyle. It makes no claim at all to be medicinal, but it has been used intravenously when the team did not have access to plasma.
I can slug down Vitalyte in quantities that would make me sick if it were straight water. Half a tall WB in one take on a hot day when I'm behind, no issue. And if I hit a hill, it stays down.
I hear you on Nuun. When that's that's the freebie at an organized ride, I hope I have brought my good stuff. (It does show the power of marketing and promoting. Had Nuun needed to prove itself in blind test vs Vitalyte (and DripDrop) I suspect our stores' shelves would be stocked differently.)
Ben
I can slug down Vitalyte in quantities that would make me sick if it were straight water. Half a tall WB in one take on a hot day when I'm behind, no issue. And if I hit a hill, it stays down.
I hear you on Nuun. When that's that's the freebie at an organized ride, I hope I have brought my good stuff. (It does show the power of marketing and promoting. Had Nuun needed to prove itself in blind test vs Vitalyte (and DripDrop) I suspect our stores' shelves would be stocked differently.)
Ben
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07-26-20, 05:22 AM
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I went for a colonoscopy and the physician suggests using Ultima Replenisher during the immediate 24 hours prior to the procedure to make sure the electrolyte levels in my body are not at a dangerous low level.
https://www.ultimareplenisher.com/
Since then, I have been using this powder product. Tastes sweet but no sugar. Good assortment of flavors. To "spice it up", I add half of a freshly squeezed orange juice to the mix after the solution is already in the water bottle.
Check out the ingredients and it will list the amounts of each essential portion of electrolytes.
In my experience, the powder does not dissolve as well in cold water than it does in very warm water. So, for me, it takes some steps to eventually get into the water bottle as "good to go".
https://www.ultimareplenisher.com/
Since then, I have been using this powder product. Tastes sweet but no sugar. Good assortment of flavors. To "spice it up", I add half of a freshly squeezed orange juice to the mix after the solution is already in the water bottle.
Check out the ingredients and it will list the amounts of each essential portion of electrolytes.
In my experience, the powder does not dissolve as well in cold water than it does in very warm water. So, for me, it takes some steps to eventually get into the water bottle as "good to go".
07-26-20, 10:11 AM
#20
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so in other words NUUN is not good any more. seems more of a marketing thing now, vs quality. too bad as they were good before
07-26-20, 11:46 AM
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If you only pick a product based on what others say and don't find out through using it what it's pro's and con's are for YOU, then you'll probably never find a product that is right for you.
07-28-20, 01:40 AM
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So I switched to DripDrop or Propel for the little weatherproof Mylar stick packets. Those are still my go-to and I recommend them often. Probably too often.
But when I tried some tubes of various NUUN tablets recently, some of them are chalky and won't dissolve. Not much flavor either. I haven't tried every variety, but the stuff I tried from Kroger was disappointing.
09-02-20, 06:19 AM
#24
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Great write up on dripdrop. Thanks!
im currently using lyteshow. I think it works well but haven’t used many others.
It is better than nuun IMO, which just seems to be tablet Gatorade, unfortunately. Their bottles are great for storing things though. 😂.
I don’t care for Gatorade it’s just sugar water to me.
lyteshow is a bit salty tasting which is fine, but seems to keep me hydrated. For all I know it could be mental but i do find I am less dehydrated and run down when I use it during a ride (never before, and only any leftover water after). I also, knock on wood, have never cramped or had leg fatigue when using it.
For longer rides I like GU gel packs before I start riding.
if I were smart I would be bringing a bottle of protein isolate with bcaa (which I use for other workouts) to drink after a ride. That makes a nice difference and definitely helps with recovery.
ive also read about liquid IV. Anyone use that? I’m running low on lyteshow and ready for either that, liquid IV, or dripdrop. All 3 seem to have the best/highest reviews.
im currently using lyteshow. I think it works well but haven’t used many others.
It is better than nuun IMO, which just seems to be tablet Gatorade, unfortunately. Their bottles are great for storing things though. 😂.
I don’t care for Gatorade it’s just sugar water to me.
lyteshow is a bit salty tasting which is fine, but seems to keep me hydrated. For all I know it could be mental but i do find I am less dehydrated and run down when I use it during a ride (never before, and only any leftover water after). I also, knock on wood, have never cramped or had leg fatigue when using it.
For longer rides I like GU gel packs before I start riding.
if I were smart I would be bringing a bottle of protein isolate with bcaa (which I use for other workouts) to drink after a ride. That makes a nice difference and definitely helps with recovery.
ive also read about liquid IV. Anyone use that? I’m running low on lyteshow and ready for either that, liquid IV, or dripdrop. All 3 seem to have the best/highest reviews.
