Originally Posted by jeff-o
What happens when athletes drink sports drinks in the same amounts as water? Do the added salts draw water away from cells?
I'll take a (non-expert) stab at this. In order to draw water out of the cells, it takes a concentrated salt solution. So, if the sports drink has a sodium level that is lower or equal to that of the person's blood, it will simply exacerbate the condition. My guess is that most sports drinks don't have sodium levels that are higher than blood's sodium levels, because they would taste salty.