Show HN: Save money with this DIY endurance gel calculator and recipe guide
The article presents a DIY method for making endurance gels at home using sugar, citric acid, and sodium citrate, claiming the process takes about 20 minutes and costs significantly less than store-bought alternatives.
Background
This article introduces a DIY calculator and recipe guide for making endurance sports gels (used by runners, cyclists, triathletes). Commercial gels like Gu, Clif Shot, or Maurten cost $1–$3+ per serving and contain simple sugars plus electrolytes. The key chemistry insight: sodium citrate (made by mixing citric acid with baking soda) buffers the acidity of plain sugar/citric acid, preventing stomach distress while maintaining the fast-absorbing carbohydrate profile. The calculator lets users customize sugar ratios (glucose:fructose), flavor, and electrolyte content. This matters because (a) homemade gels cost pennies per serving, (b) many athletes consume 3-6+ gels during a long event, (c) the optimal 1:0.8 glucose-to-fructose ratio (from sports science research) is rarely disclosed on commercial labels, and (d) the author provides a web-based calculator to scale batches accurately. The post is on The Instant, a tech/science blog, and was shared on Hacker News ("Show HN").