Poor science does not explain why papers are rejected.
THE TRUTH ABOUT SPORTS DRINKS
Poor science does not explain why papers are rejected
Timothy D Noakes medical scientist
University of Cape Town, Sports Science Institute of South Africa, Newlands, 7700, South Africa
Sawka concludes that poor science, not conflicts of interest,
explains why papers are rejected by leading journals, including
the Journal of Applied Physiology and Medicine and Science
in Sports and Exercise, the editorial boards and review panels
of which contain people with close connections to the sports
drink industry.
1
If true, the rejected papers would not attract
high citation rates when published elsewhere.
Four of our papers rejected by those journals have since been
cited 52, 74, 66, and 55 times respectively,
2-5
disproving that
they are of poor quality.
All four papers are of interest to the sports drink industry
because they show that
• Overdrinking of fluid alone causes exercise associated
hyponatraemia
• Studies conducted in laboratories without adequate
convective cooling inflate the evidence for the benefits of
sports drinks
• High levels of dehydration are found in the fastest finishers
in Ironman triathlons
• Finishing time and the extent of weight loss in Ironman
triathletes is inversely related—greater weight loss is
associated with faster finishing times.
The reviews of these rejected papers were generally antagonistic
and dismissive, not collegial.
Our reanalysis of data from an industry funded study was
particularly interesting.
6
After review by three referees it was
rejected by the editor of the Journal of Applied Physiology on
the grounds that we had “misinterpreted” the data. Was our
article unacceptable because it inconveniently proved that water
not sodium balance determines the blood sodium concentration
response to prolonged exercise, thus disproving a false message
promoted by the sports drink industry since 1987?
That study confirmed what we had argued since 1985 and had
proved in a 1991 publication. If disseminated, this information
would have saved lives and prevented the global spread of
exercise associated hyponatraemia.
Competing interests: Fully disclosed in two previous rapid responses
to the BMJ www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e4737/rr/595079 and www.
bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e4737/rr/598693.
1 Sawka MN. Feature article contains many inaccuracies. BMJ 2012;345:e5435. (14 August.)
2 Speedy DB, Rogers IR, Noakes TD, Wright S, Thompson JM, Campbell R, et al.
Exercise-induced hyponatremia in ultradistance triathletes is caused by inappropriate
fluid retention. Clin J Sport Med 2000;10:272-8.
3 Sharwood K, Collins M, Goedecke J, Wilson G, Noakes TD. Weight changes, sodium
levels, and performance in the South African Ironman Triathlon. Clin J Sport Med
2002;12:391-9.
4 Sharwood KA, Collins M, Goedecke JH, Wilson G, Noakes TD. Weight changes, medical
complications, and performance during an Ironman triathlon. Br J Sports Med
2004;38:718-24.
5 Saunders AG, Dugas JP, Tucker R, Lambert MI, Noakes TD. The effects of different air
velocities on heat storage and body temperature in humans cycling in a hot, humid
environment. Acta Physiol Scand 2005;183:241-55.
6 Noakes TD. Changes in body mass alone explain almost all of the variance in the serum
sodium concentrations during prolonged exercise. Has commercial influence impeded
scientific endeavour? Br J Sports Med 2011;45:475-7.
Cite this as: BMJ 2012;345:e5853
© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2012
noakes@iafrica.com
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BMJ 2012;345:e5853 doi: 10.1136/bmj.e5853 (Published 18 September 2012) Page 1 of 1
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