What Is Your Solution to Hydration on a Budget?

Sleeqb7 on 23/06/2022 - 09:34

Water - Thread closed.

Now let's say you're looking to get back some electrolytes after exercising and you've noticed the genuine improvement you feel in recovery from using something like Hydralyte, but you don't want to spend the money on it, what do you do?

I'm in the above situation. I don't really want to smash multiple liters of water the moment I get home from a workout, and the post-workout stuff you buy allegedly has things in it that overall improve recovery time. In my purely anecdotal experience, I would agree with their hypothesis, and so I prefer to use them.
The catch is that they're not as cheap as I would like. 20 servings of Hydralyte (The pharmacy option for hydration) is over $1 per serving. BCAA from Bulk Nutrients is too. Powerade (Gatorade, etc) can be closer to $2 (And unless you buy the zero-sugar variants, is not super healthy).

I have to imagine there is some alternative that is cost efficient while still giving the results one can get from those above options.

Being budget conscious, which of the available options do you use? How much does it cost? Do you actually not work out at all and thus wish I put 'Bikies' as a poll option?
Include info in the comments below!

Poll Options

  • 352
    Water
  • 5
    Sports Drink - Gatorade, Powerade, etc
  • 11
    Hydration powder - Hydralyte, pharmacy brand, etc
  • 8
    Post-Workout concoction - BCAA, Post-workout, etc
Health & Beauty

Comments

  • Blargman2001 on 24/06/2022 - 15:22

    Take a salt tablet and a glass of water.

  • unwashed00 on 24/06/2022 - 15:52
    +1

    Lightly salted water with some squeezed lemon? Or just lightly salted water

  • Dreamcast on 24/06/2022 - 15:56

    Stop being a tight arse + WPI shake after workout.

    • Sleeqb7 on 25/06/2022 - 09:12

      I typically make protien pancakes with WPI for breakfast pre-workout. Whenever I would use WPI and water as a shake, it would always upset my stomach for some reason.

      • outlander on 25/06/2022 - 14:17
        +1

        Your reaction is a common one. Your mouth and the act of chewing forms a vital part of digestion. Your saliva contains enzymes that start digesting food as you chew it, and the physical act of chewing stimulates saliva glands. At the same time, information on the contents of the food (proteins, carbohydrates, water levels etc) is sent to your stomach to prepare it. Stomach acid is a soup that changes composition as needed.

        When you guzzle down a shake, it skips all that. Try chewing your shake in small sips, and you should be fine (unless its some kind of allergy)

  • AustriaBargain on 24/06/2022 - 16:04

    Chocolate milk.

  • yokel on 24/06/2022 - 18:15

    If you don’t even get cramps then don’t bother with anything but water. Eating a banana is useful for the potassium.

  • MessyG on 24/06/2022 - 20:55
    +1

    Tub of Staminade, been around for donkeys.

  • Fobsessive on 24/06/2022 - 21:29

    4L goon (shiraz)

    • ProlapsedHeinous on 24/06/2022 - 22:16
      +1

      Do you even coolibrah?

      • Fobsessive on 24/06/2022 - 22:26

        Nah mate - De Bortoli classiness

        • Sleeqb7 on 25/06/2022 - 09:44
          +1

          Fruitylexia or riot.

  • Pugkin on 24/06/2022 - 22:41

    Drink water

  • nuttapillar on 24/06/2022 - 23:20

    Why do you pretend that gulping down 2 litres of water is the only alternative to the other drinks? Why not just drink regularly/consistently?

  • T1OOO on 25/06/2022 - 00:13
    +1

    Milk it has much more than the sports drinks.

  • Gnosh on 25/06/2022 - 01:41
    +1

    Have you tried Powerthirst?

  • Coles Customer on 25/06/2022 - 02:43
    +1

    SiS Hydration tablet. Pro solution.

    • WhyAmICommenting on 25/06/2022 - 09:43

      Expensive though. I have some SiS stuff - I’ma big fan, especially when it’s on sale lol.

  • marbss on 25/06/2022 - 03:02
    +4

    I found the Aldi branded electrolytes tablets are cheaper than hydralyte tablets. Virtually the same. Beyond that eat a banana and a magnesium tablet after working out with water.

    • WhyAmICommenting on 25/06/2022 - 09:43

      Good tip, thanks I’ll look out for Aldi brand tabs

  • Raj09 on 25/06/2022 - 08:16

    We didn't have hydralyte ages ago and bodies could perform. Water is all you need.

    • factor on 25/06/2022 - 22:22

      We also didn't have every product in the supermarket "salt reduced" ages ago!

      • Raj09 on 26/06/2022 - 01:00

        Agreed. Muscles are composed of water. Not hydralyte or anything else. Get water and add some minerals in the diet. That's all. No fancy protein or testicle reducing hormone 😊

        • greatlamp on 26/06/2022 - 07:23

          Yep, the best source of minerals is green vegetables that grow close to the ground. Unfortunately frozen broccoli is consistently out of stock.

  • Halc on 25/06/2022 - 09:53
    +1

    Next thread

    'what is your solution to oxygenation on a budget'

  • dbglt on 25/06/2022 - 10:36
    +1

    Sounds like you're putting out a lot of power and will be sweating a lot. My 2c is you just need water + electrolytes. Magnesium/potassium/sodium. You can get these in tablet form, powders, or they are commonly in sports drinks (usually with lots of sugar and very expensive - not ozbargain safe). Myprotein, aldi, etc all stock tablets or powders like this. Really makes a difference after heavy workouts.

    If a powder you mix into water, free to add in any sweetener or flavour you like (I like to add lemon or lime juice and a few drops of stevia).

  • voiletmay on 25/06/2022 - 13:27

    Aldi has tubes of electrolyte tablets.

  • rlf on 25/06/2022 - 14:11
    +1

    Unless you're losing 2+ L of weight per exercise (2+ hours minimum). Water is fine.

  • BuckyUnlucky on 25/06/2022 - 16:26

    Why people put a limit to what they spend on their health and fitness, I’ll never know- but will continue to buy rubbish from aliexpress that they’ll wait 4 months to receive and keep in a junk drawer.
    If it helps you with recovery, makes you more fit, aids in the process of working out- so it

  • joelmuzz on 25/06/2022 - 18:40

    Just a little salt in water will give you most of what is lost to sweat.

  • Herbse on 25/06/2022 - 19:22

    I used the squinchers packet sachets of energy/electrolyte drinks.

  • ChickenTalon on 25/06/2022 - 20:05

    Water and table salt. Fixes everything for me

  • pao2x on 25/06/2022 - 23:31

    1 teaspoon of salt, 4 teaspoons of sugar mix to 1liter of water. Add flavor to taste

  • No ONE on 25/06/2022 - 23:45

    Water if that doesn't work then try eat watermelon with salt. Diced cut watermelon and pinch small amount of salt over it.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2022 - 02:55

    Hydralyte? You want Brawndo. It's got what morons crave. It's got electrolytes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAqIJZeeXEc

  • zrach on 26/06/2022 - 05:19

    all that's in there is mostly just salt and potassium
    just get salt and lite salt from the grocery

  • D3186 on 26/06/2022 - 07:28

    Mostly I just buy hydralite in bulk for post-run hydration. However found a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar and Pink Salt in a tall glass of water to work well (Use to get headaches after 45min+ runs).

    Apple Cider Vinegar – Along with many B vitamins and vitamin C, apple cider vinegar contains sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus.

  • morebunnings on 26/06/2022 - 07:32

    Voost tabs go on special for 3.25 at coles probably once every month or two. That's 32.5c per 2tab serve. Just have to buy heaps when it does go in special.

    Other than that you probs should just eat fruit at the end of your exercise (banana + orange). You're gonna eat food anyway. Might aswell eat something with electrolytes. Then they're basically free.

  • Oz em on 26/06/2022 - 16:05
    +1

    There’s a recipe for water, cordial, salt to make your own hydrolite drink.

    • Yawhae on 26/06/2022 - 21:24
      +1

      Asked a medical student friend and they said for severely dehydrated patients assuming they can drink, they use;
      1L water,
      6 tsp of sugar
      1/2 tsp of salt.

      If they are unconscious or undergoing surgery then they use an IV. But I don't think a personal IV setup would be cheap and pleasant.

  • ihbh on 27/06/2022 - 08:11

    Bodily fluid.

  • Save Medicare on 27/06/2022 - 09:08

    Intravenous Plasma-Lyte 148 with serial electrolyte monitoring

  • freedomofspeech on 27/06/2022 - 09:34

    MMS Protocol 1..

  • based on 27/06/2022 - 09:40

    This is about 33c per serving
    https://www.bulknutrients.com.au/products/electrolyte-blend

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