Home brewed energy drinks
I still have plenty of energy drink left. However, when it's gone, I think I'll try something new.
If we can home brew an effective chain lube, we can home brew a decent sport drink, too.
Seth Hosmer just posted his recipe. Looks pretty good.
Gewilli, a mad scientist, also posted a recipe of sorts, across two posts. It's a little harder to read than Seth's. Okay, a lot harder, but worth reading. Read the comments, too.
Another recipe I used for years - diluded apple juice.
Actually, one time, I had my 12 year old nephew in the car with me, and he saw a water bottle full of this. He asked what it was, to which I told him "diluded apple juice." He drank the bottle and said "MMm, that's good. Do they make diluded orange juice, too?"
Diluded apple juice then became the cool drink with the boys in his neighborhood for the rest of the summer.
Now diluted apple juice -- that's about the only way I let my kids drink the stuff. I wouldn't go near deluded juices, OTOH.
#1 is it an industrial corn byproduct most of the time (#2 corn ain't good stuff)
#2 using sucrose (rawor regular sugar only) boosts the fructose, which for athletes ain't a bad thing... ie more energy to muscles faster (which is why fructose in HFCS and excessively sweet products makes people fatter faster).
#3 hard to get (over the counter most of the time at least)
(yes i know nice long chain glucose - but glucose has to be actively taken up fructose just slips right in for easy energy) (no, fruit doesn't generally have as much fructose as HFCS products...) damn i gotta shut my mouth sometimes ;)
but i like the lite salt idea... very cool... and the lemon and lime juice certainly looks good...
the last batch i made up i use a vanilla flavor, not too bad either...
That SEED stuff, not half bad...
Malto is starch based, but can have many sources and unless it says what the source is, lately, around here, it is likely to be corn. It can be made from Potato, rice or Corn. But you take a quick guess which industrial by-product machine is cranked up to make malto for the food industry? (hint: think corn).
Another big problem with Malto is how hygroscopic it is (sucks up water - like a freaking sponge, or like salt). Getting a true weight value for a newly opened package isn't a problem. But down the road, the stuff will be soaking up water like nothing else.
I'd just use sugar for the whole thing for the simple reason of the dual pathway energy source. Glucose uptake is regulated by insulin. Fructose is not. So by overloading your energy drink with glucose 'could' slow the absorption. Which I think isn't the goal of a fluid/energy drink.
If you want slow absorption, eat something solid. Drinks should be absorbed as fast as possible. If you need more sugars, drink more, because generally you'll need more fluid as well.
Joe Friel's got a good bit about energy and all that stuff. While not related to making your own energy drink, it is something that folks should read who are making their own DIY SEED or GeWilli-ade or something related...
link: <a href="http://www2.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2008/07/fue... friel</a>
I hear you on the food/drink thing, too. I feel food should be actual food, like a granola bar or something. Drink can have the quick acting stuff in it.