While the sports drinks provide vital salts and minerals, they are not the only means through which the body can aquire them. Water from natural fresh water sources such as mountain streams and nascent rivulets contain traces of minerals and salts, which can perform the same function of the sports drinks. But the minerals and salts in the sports drinks are in concentrated form whereas those present in natural water sources are highly diluted. In this context, the lawyers can adopt the strategy of consuming eight glasses of natural water everyday, which would meet the daily recommendation levels for water as well as vital salts and minerals. Of course, choosing a balanced diet can also help restore essential nutrients in the body over the long run.
Hence, in conclusion, there is no rule of thumb that is applicable to all individuals in the group (in this case the 55 attorneys in the law firm). Of the three items discussed above, water is the most important for overall health and wellbeing. Sports drinks such as Powerade and Gatorade are not mandatory for most individual needs. In other words, water collected from fresh natural sources can provide daily recommended levels of essential salts and minerals. The only drawback with water is that it has to be consumed in large quantities to fulfill the daily requisite levels. But on the other hand, sports drinks are more consistent in their quality and labelled quantities. For example, every bottle of Powerade or Gatorade contains the exact percentages of the ingredients as seen in the labels. With naturlly occuring mineral water, on the other hand can differ in conposition depending on the local geology. Hence, a judicious balance between sports drinks and water can satisfy the daily hydration requirements of most individuals.
References:
Exercise and Fluid Replacement (February 2007), Medicine & Science in Sports &
Exercise, – Volume 39 – Issue 2 – pp 377-390, retrieved from <http://www.acsm-msse.org> on 26th September, 2007
Kleiner, S. M, (June 2002), Can “8-a-day” keep cancer away?, Water: An essential but overlooked nutrient, retrieved from <http://www.scandpg.org> on 26th September, 2007
Dietary Reference Intakes for Electrolytes And Water (February 11, 2004), retrieved from <http://www.iom.edu> on 26th September, 2007
Food Labeling and Nutrition, retrieved from <http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/> on 26th September, 2007