For years, I relied on powdered drink mixes during training. Cheap Gatorade powder, Kool-Aid, the usual options. They work, but sipping sugar water for an entire session started to cause tooth sensitivity. That alone was reason enough to change.
Instead of constantly drinking sugar water, I take small spoonfuls of honey during training. I keep a cheap squeeze bottle of clover honey in my gym bag and squeeze it straight into my mouth when needed.
It delivers fast carbohydrates without the constant exposure that comes from sipping sweet drinks for an hour or more. No digestion issues. No bloating. No teeth problems.
It also removes friction. No mixing powders. No sticky bottles. No specialty products. Honey is cheap, shelf stable, and easy to carry.
This is not a new idea. Lifters were doing this long before pre-workouts and hydration mixes existed. The fact that it works is not surprising.
That small change led to a larger realization. Carbohydrates and salt around training are not optional if you lift heavy and sweat hard.
I go deeper on that here:
Carbohydrates, Salt, and Heavy Training