Do sports drinks really work? I guess we will need to turn to the research to find out. But wait, what if the research has been influenced? You must read this investigative article by Deborah Cohen, in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published last week. She examines the history of the development of sports drinks, the marketing and selling of them, as well as the ties that researchers have to the products.
As part of the BMJ’s analysis of the evidence underpinning sports performance products, it asked manufacturers to supply details of the studies they have conducted. Only one manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline provided a comprehensive bibliography of the trials used to underpin its product claims for Lucozade—a carbohydrate containing sports drink. Other manufacturers of leading sports drinks did not provide the requested information.
You must read this article, “The Truth About Sports Drinks“.