Whether you’re training for a marathon or out for a long bike ride, you need to give your body the fuel to keep going. But not everyone loves store-bought sports drinks. If you want to avoid the strange food colourings and hard-to-pronounce ingredients, consider making your own sports drink. We asked Kelly Anne Erdman, sports dietitian and Olympic cyclist, for her special sports drink recipe. Here’s what she recommends. Mix together: 1 litre water 45 mL fine berry sugar Juice of 1 lemon ¼ tsp salt This concoction delivers everything you need to sustain yourself throughout your workout. The water keeps you hydrated, the simple carbs in the sugar provide the energy you need to keep going and the sodium from the salt helps keep your electrolytes in check so that your body can maintain an optimal fluid balance in your muscles. Just remember: You only need a sports drink when you’re exercising for long periods of time—more than 90 minutes. If you’re spending an hour at the gym, a bottle of water will do just fine. (Photography: Wiki Commons/Mike Baird)