July 19/London/Globe and Mail-- A new study is generating significant attention after it found that sports drinks, in simple terms, do not work. It also took aim at supplements and footwear, the latter often touted by companies such as Nike and Adidas as very important to athletic performance. Athletic footwear often comes with a high price tag but, apparently, consumers should not be wasting their money.

"There is a striking lack of evidence to support the vast majority of sports-related products that make claims related to enhanced performance or recovery, including drinks, supplements or footwear," according to the researchers.

The study, conducted by researchers from Oxford University and the British Medical Journal, looked at claims offered by companies that sell sports drinks, supplements and footwear. Researchers found that half of the websites for these products do not back up any of their lofty claims with evidence. Companies that do offer evidence rely on science that is weak. For instance, any benefits of sports drinks found in scientific evidence were marginal, and testing was done on elite athletes, not on the average person.