Gatorade
Matt Hermes

The concepts of rehydration and energy boost come from the basic principles of thermochemistry and osmotic behavior. But the inventors must make decisions balancing their need for experimental data and the health and safety of their subjects. And the football coaches and players must have their own say in the experimental program.

Gatorade 14. A Case for Discussion

Can We Conduct a Medical Experiment? What should happen here? Should the doctors be allowed to test out their beverage ideas on the Florida football team? It is three weeks until the varsity season opens. The varsity is having the same fatigue problems as the freshman. The varsity quarterback is a Heisman candidate, his success will assure the success of the varsity coach. Therefore the varsity coach is reluctant to make any risky adjustments to the practice schedule for his team.

The freshman coach works part-time in the medical school where the team doctor is a researcher. He knows the team doctor has a laboratory with a top-notch research team. The freshman team is not strong this year. The freshman coach would do anything to reach a winning record, to establish his own coaching reputation. But suppose the beverage did as the doctor suggested and made his team a winner? And he did not tell the varsity coach in time to have the beverage ready for a varsity trial?

The team doctor has an idea for a beverage. He knows he can prepare some samples. But the beverage might not work. Suppose he gave the drink to the freshman coach and a player got sick? Who would be responsible? Can he, as a physician, run an experiment without extensive preparation, without his boss' approval? Does he need a trial group without the beverage as a comparison? And what responses will they measure? How will he know if he succeeds or fails?

Exercise:

i. Prepare for class by:

• Listing the type of testing you would want to see done on two new products before you would use them:

  Product	Testing
  Example: New Tire	Road handling, maximum speed, what happens if it punctures.
  New Cereal called "Bagel-Bits"
  New Drug that Prevents Hair from Turning Gray

• Referring to the issue of trying the new formulation on Florida's athletes, write a short paragraph from the point of view of one of : Team Physician, Varsity Coach  or Freshman Coach as to what to do now with the new beverage.

ii. In class, break into groups, consisting of at least one person each representing: Team Physician, Varsity Coach, Freshman Coach. Argue your position as to how to deal with this proposal to test a beverage to prevent the dehydration and heat prostration for this-year's football team.