In a marathon, runners may have to drink up to 3 liters of water before they cross the finish line, and at points along the course bottles of energy drinks whose contents take the weather and physical conditions into account are made available to them.
Japanese runners used to favor sweet teas that provided water and sugar. Akemi Masuda, 44, a marathon runner who competed in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, said her favorite was Earl Grey tea with honey.
"But I drank too much, so I'd actually gain weight by the time I crossed the finish line," Masuda said.