Intended for healthcare professionals

Letters The truth about sports drinks

Feature article contains many inaccuracies

BMJ 2012; 345 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.e5435 (Published 14 August 2012) Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e5435
  1. Michael N Sawka, chief, thermal and mountain medicine1
  1. 1Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, MA 01760-5007, USA
  1. mike.n.sawka{at}gmail.com

Cohen’s feature article contains many inaccuracies.1 I am repeatedly named for my supposed role in a poorly disguised conspiracy to dupe the public for personal gain. I will comment only on matters that I have personal experience of.

The feature implies that I have inappropriate “links” (conflicts of interest) with the sports drink industry because I work for the US military (referred to as “the biggest customer of Gatorade”), I receive monetary benefits (“not clear he receives funding directly”), and I attended exclusive Quaker Oats meetings in the 1990s.

In answer, I do work for the US army but am not aware of (or would have any role in) any contract or arrangement that the US army might have with the makers of Gatorade …

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