---
title: "How to Make a Homemade Electrolyte Drink for Training or Fighting a Hangover"
description: "Making an electrolyte hydration boost at home is relatively simple, and it is a better alternative to commercial options loaded with flavorings, artificial colors and preservatives. Here is the recipe."
url: https://www.thebeertimes.com/en/homemade-electrolyte-drink/
date: 2024-05-29
modified: 2026-10-09
author: "Carlos Uhart M."
image: https://www.thebeertimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bebida-con-eectrolitos.jpg
categories: ["Health"]
tags: ["Hangover", "Health", "Hydration", "Recipes"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# How to Make a Homemade Electrolyte Drink for Training or Fighting a Hangover

A homemade electrolyte drink is made with water, salt, baking soda, potassium chloride and a little fruit juice, and it serves to replenish the water and minerals lost through sweat. For hangovers the science is less optimistic, because studies have not found a link between blood electrolytes and how bad a person feels the next day.

![Homemade electrolyte drink made with orange juice, lemon, salt and potassium chloride](https://www.thebeertimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bebida-con-eectrolitos.jpg)*Homemade electrolyte drink*

Below is the recipe, how much sodium and potassium it provides compared with the WHO rehydration solution, and what people who train or wake up with a hangover can expect from it.

Contenido

- [What Are Electrolytes?](#What_Are_Electrolytes)
- [Why Does an Electrolyte Drink Hydrate Better Than Plain Water?](#Why_Does_an_Electrolyte_Drink_Hydrate_Better_Than_Plain_Water)
- [Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe](#Homemade_Electrolyte_Drink_Recipe)
  - [Ingredients](#Ingredients)
  - [Preparation](#Preparation)
- [How Much Sodium and Potassium Does It Provide?](#How_Much_Sodium_and_Potassium_Does_It_Provide)
- [Do Electrolytes Help With a Hangover?](#Do_Electrolytes_Help_With_a_Hangover)
- [Does Alcohol Always Dehydrate You?](#Does_Alcohol_Always_Dehydrate_You)
- [Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)](#Frequently_Asked_Questions_FAQ)
  - [1. How do you make a homemade electrolyte drink?](#1_How_do_you_make_a_homemade_electrolyte_drink)
  - [2. Does an electrolyte drink get rid of a hangover?](#2_Does_an_electrolyte_drink_get_rid_of_a_hangover)
  - [3. Is it useful for training?](#3_Is_it_useful_for_training)
  - [4. Does magnesium prevent cramps?](#4_Does_magnesium_prevent_cramps)
  - [5. Who should not drink this beverage?](#5_Who_should_not_drink_this_beverage)
- [References](#References)
- [Recommended](#Recommended)

## What Are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are minerals that carry an electrical charge when they dissolve in body fluids, such as blood. The main ones are sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate and phosphate.

They regulate how much water stays inside and outside cells, allow nerves and muscles to transmit electrical signals and help maintain pH. That is why the body controls them very precisely, and it loses them mainly through sweat and urine.

## Why Does an Electrolyte Drink Hydrate Better Than Plain Water?

The key lies in sodium and glucose. According to the WHO, glucose facilitates the absorption of sodium in the small intestine, and with it the absorption of water, in a one-to-one molecular ratio (WHO, 2006).

That principle is the basis of the oral rehydration salts used against dehydration caused by diarrhea. A homemade drink only mimics it if it contains enough sugar, which is why in this recipe it is best not to leave out the honey.

For sport, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends avoiding the loss of more than 2% of body weight in water during exercise. It also notes that drinks with electrolytes and carbohydrates may be better than water alone in certain circumstances (ACSM, 2007).

Because sweat varies greatly from one person to another, the same guideline suggests weighing yourself before and after training to estimate how much fluid needs to be replaced.

## Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe

The recipe makes almost 1.2 liters. The amounts of salt, baking soda and potassium are what matter most, so it is best to measure them with measuring spoons.

### Ingredients

- 1 liter of purified water
- 125 ml of orange juice
- 60 ml of lemon juice
- 2 effervescent [vitamin C](https://amzn.to/3KmrP24) tablets
- 1 capsule of powdered [B-complex vitamins](https://amzn.to/4ebjImS)
- 1 capsule of [magnesium chloride](https://amzn.to/3wRcBz7)
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- ½ teaspoon of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
- ¼ teaspoon of [potassium chloride](https://amzn.to/3Vj8xkv)

### Preparation

1. In a large pitcher, mix the water, orange juice and lemon juice, add the sea salt, baking soda and potassium chloride, and stir until they dissolve.
2. Add the vitamin C tablets, the contents of the B-vitamin capsule and of the magnesium chloride capsule, sweeten with the honey if desired and mix until dissolved.

## How Much Sodium and Potassium Does It Provide?

A teaspoon of table salt weighs about 6 g and contains 2,325 mg of sodium, and a teaspoon of baking soda weighs 4.6 g and contains 1,259 mg (USDA). With those values, the salt provides 1,162.5 mg of sodium and the baking soda 314.75 mg, which are converted to millimoles by dividing by 22.99, the mass of sodium.

\dfrac{1,162.5}{22.99} \approx 50.6 \ \text{mmol}

\dfrac{314.75}{22.99} \approx 13.7 \ \text{mmol}

Water and juices add up to 1.185 liters in the mixture, so the sodium concentration works out as follows.

\dfrac{50.6 + 13.7}{1.185} \approx 54 \ \text{mmol/L}

Effervescent vitamin C tablets usually contain sodium, and the amount varies by brand, so it is worth checking the label to see how much they add to the 54 mmol/L.

If powdered potassium chloride weighs the same as table salt, ¼ teaspoon is about 1.5 g. With a mass of 74.55 g per mole, that comes to about 20 millimoles in total.

\dfrac{1.5}{74.55} \times 1000 \approx 20.1 \ \text{mmol}

\dfrac{20.1}{1.185} \approx 17 \ \text{mmol/L}

Potassium calls for caution. Serious cases of potassium excess have been described in two people with heart failure, impaired kidney function and spironolactone treatment who overused potassium-based salt substitutes (Yap et al., 1976), so in those situations you should consult a doctor before making it.

The table compares the result with the reduced-osmolarity oral rehydration solution recommended by the WHO. The figures for the homemade drink are approximate, because the calculation uses table salt and flaked sea salt weighs less per teaspoon.

| Component | Homemade drink (approx.) | WHO solution |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sodium (mmol/L) | 54, plus the sodium in the effervescent tablets | 75 |
| Potassium (mmol/L) | 17, plus the potassium in the juices | 20 |
| Sugar | Optional honey and juices | 13.5 g of glucose per liter |
| Total osmolarity (mmol/L) | Not calculated | 245 |

## Do Electrolytes Help With a Hangover?

A hangover combines headache, tremor, nausea, diarrhea and fatigue, with poorer performance the next day (Wiese et al., 2000). The question is whether replenishing electrolytes relieves it.

A review of studies with blood and urine tests found that neither electrolytes nor vasopressin, a marker of dehydration, were related to hangover severity (Penning et al., 2010).

The same review points to the immune response as the factor most clearly linked to hangovers. Other factors, such as getting little sleep or smoking, do not cause it but may make it worse.

In 2024, the same research group reviewed the relationship between hangover, thirst and water intake. Drinking water during or right after alcohol only modestly prevented hangovers, and water consumed the next day did not change their severity (Mackus et al., 2024).

The authors conclude that dehydration and hangover are two consequences of alcohol that coincide in time without depending on each other. That is why there is no basis for expecting an electrolyte drink to relieve a hangover, since in that review water consumed during the hangover changed neither thirst nor hangover severity.

## Does Alcohol Always Dehydrate You?

Not in every situation. In a trial with 12 men, a liter of 4% beer made them urinate more than the same beer without alcohol when they were well hydrated, with 1,279 ml versus 1,121 ml over the following hours (Hobson and Maughan, 2010).

When they started the trial already dehydrated, the difference between the two beers was not significant. The diuretic effect of a small dose depends on hydration status, a key nuance for understanding [whether beer dehydrates you in summer](https://www.thebeertimes.com/en/why-beer-dehydrates-despite-refreshing-science-diuresis/).

With doses larger than the one in the trial, the result may be different. For that, it is worth reviewing [what a hangover is and how to avoid it](https://www.thebeertimes.com/que-es-y-como-se-puede-evitar-la-resaca/) and the risks of [drinking too much alcohol](https://www.thebeertimes.com/en/dangers-of-excessive-alcohol-consumption/).

## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

### 1. How do you make a homemade electrolyte drink?

Mix one liter of water with 125 ml of orange juice, 60 ml of lemon juice, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of baking soda and ¼ teaspoon of potassium chloride, and you can sweeten it with honey. The result has about 54 mmol/L of sodium and 17 of potassium, below the WHO solution.

### 2. Does an electrolyte drink get rid of a hangover?

There is no evidence that it does. Blood electrolytes are not related to hangover severity (Penning et al., 2010), and drinking water the next day did not reduce it in the studies reviewed by Mackus et al. (2024).

### 3. Is it useful for training?

It can be. The ACSM recommends not losing more than 2% of body weight during exercise and considers that drinks with electrolytes and carbohydrates may be better than water alone in certain circumstances (ACSM, 2007).

### 4. Does magnesium prevent cramps?

The evidence does not support it. A Cochrane review of 11 trials found that, in cramps with no known cause and especially in older people, the differences between magnesium and placebo were small and not significant, and there are no trials on exercise-associated cramps (Garrison et al., 2020).

### 5. Who should not drink this beverage?

People with kidney or heart disease, or who take medications that retain potassium, should consult a doctor because of the potassium chloride. Anyone on a low-sodium diet should also take the salt and baking soda into account.

## References

1. American College of Sports Medicine, Sawka, M. N., Burke, L. M., Eichner, E. R., Maughan, R. J., Montain, S. J., & Stachenfeld, N. S. (2007). Exercise and fluid replacement. *Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39*(2), 377-390. [https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e31802ca597](https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e31802ca597)

2. Garrison, S. R., Korownyk, C. S., Kolber, M. R., Allan, G. M., Musini, V. M., Sekhon, R. K., & Dugré, N. (2020). Magnesium for skeletal muscle cramps. *Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews*, 2020(9), CD009402. [https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009402.pub3](https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009402.pub3)

3. Hobson, R. M., & Maughan, R. J. (2010). Hydration status and the diuretic action of a small dose of alcohol. *Alcohol and Alcoholism, 45*(4), 366-373. [https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agq029](https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agq029)

4. Mackus, M., Stock, A. K., Garssen, J., Scholey, A., & Verster, J. C. (2024). Alcohol hangover versus dehydration revisited: The effect of drinking water to prevent or alleviate the alcohol hangover. *Alcohol, 121*, 9-18. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.07.006](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.07.006)

5. World Health Organization (2006). *Oral rehydration salts. Production of the new ORS*. WHO/FCH/CAH/06.1. [https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FCH-CAH-06.1](https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FCH-CAH-06.1)

6. Penning, R., van Nuland, M., Fliervoet, L. A., Olivier, B., & Verster, J. C. (2010). The pathology of alcohol hangover. *Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 3*(2), 68-75. [https://doi.org/10.2174/1874473711003020068](https://doi.org/10.2174/1874473711003020068)

7. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central, Salt, table (FDC ID 173468) and Leavening agents, baking soda (FDC ID 175040). [https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/](https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/)

8. Wiese, J. G., Shlipak, M. G., & Browner, W. S. (2000). The alcohol hangover. *Annals of Internal Medicine, 132*(11), 897-902. [https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-132-11-200006060-00008](https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-132-11-200006060-00008)

9. Yap, V., Patel, A., & Thomsen, J. (1976). Hyperkalemia with cardiac arrhythmia. Induction by salt substitutes, spironolactone, and azotemia. *JAMA, 236*(24), 2775-2776. [https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.236.24.2775](https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.236.24.2775)

## Recommended

- [The Ultimate Formula to Beat a Hangover: Supplements and a 2-Phase Strategy](https://www.thebeertimes.com/en/the-ultimate-formula-to-beat-a-hangover-supplements-and-a-2-phase-strategy/)
- [The Science Behind Drinks That Promise Alcohol’s Effects Without a Hangover](https://www.thebeertimes.com/la-ciencia-detras-de-las-bebidas-que-prometen-los-efecto-del-alcohol-sin-resaca/)