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Energy drinks are big business: we get through about 45 million litres of the stuff every year. They claim to keep you energised and rehydrated. So what’s actually in them? And are they actually worth the money?

If you look on a bottle of one of these drinks you'll see an ingredients list that looks very long and complex. But they actually only contain 3 key components: water to hydrate you, sugar for energy, and salt to replace electrolytes lost when you sweat.

So to make your own homemade energy drink, all you need to do is mix:

• 500ml water
• 30g sugar (around 6 teaspoons)
• 0.65g salt (around an eighth of a teaspoon)
• And for some flavouring add a splash of orange squash.

It really is as simple as that. And virtually free!