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Sports Drink Mix Calculator

Work out sports drink mix instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Sports Drink Mix Calculator

Works out the sugar and salt needed to hit a target carbohydrate concentration and sodium content, keeping the drink within the isotonic range.

Formula

Sports drink mix

Sugar (g) = water (mL) x target concentration; salt (g) = sodium (mg) x 2.542 / 1000, where sodium = litres x mg/L

Worked example

With the default values below, Sports Drink Mix Calculator returns Sugar or maltodextrin to add of 45.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Water volumeaccepts 100–5,000 mL
750 mL
Target carbohydrate concentrationaccepts 2–12
6
Target sodiumaccepts 0–1,500 mg/L
500 mg/L

Results

Sugar or maltodextrin to add
45.00 g
Salt to add
0.953 g
Sodium provided
375.0 mg
Carbohydrate per 750 mL bottle
45.0 g

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Sports drink mix
  3. 3Sugar or maltodextrin to add= 45.00 g
  4. 4Salt to add= 0.953 g
  5. 5Sodium provided= 375.0 mg
  6. 6Carbohydrate per 750 mL bottle= 45.0 g

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
  • Educational estimate only. Not a substitute for professional clinical judgement, and must not be used to make treatment or dosing decisions.
  • This is an estimate for general information and not professional medical advice. See the full disclaimer for the limits that apply to this kind of calculator.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Educational estimate only. Not a substitute for professional clinical judgement, and must not be used to make treatment or dosing decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why keep concentration at 6 to 8 percent?

Higher concentrations slow gastric emptying and can cause gastrointestinal distress during exercise.

Is sodium essential?

It aids fluid retention and palatability, and matters most in long or hot sessions where sweat losses are large.

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