Singapore, 1 June 2021 – POCARI SWEAT, the isotonic beverage developed by Japan’s Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (OPC), announced a partnership with Sports Medicine Association Singapore (SMAS) during SMAS’ Sports Medicine Series virtual seminar on 29th May 2021. This collaboration marks POCARI SWEAT as SMAS’ first-ever Official Hydration Partner.
SMAS is the registered society for sports medicine and sports science professionals in Singapore. Its characteristic multi-disciplinary membership comprises doctors, physiotherapists, podiatrists, sports nutritionists and dieticians, exercise physiologists, sports scientists, and sports psychologists, all integrated into one community. SMAS aims to promote sports medicine and sports science knowledge to the sporting community in Singapore and beyond.
Underpinned by the corporate philosophy of improving the quality of health worldwide, POCARI SWEAT has continued to support high-performance athletes as an official hydration partner at the 2018 Asian Games and 2019 SEA Games. It has also partnered with local athletes including Soh Rui Yong (who broke the 23-year-old national men’s marathon record at Seoul Marathon 2019) and continues to support the Singapore Athletics Association since 2019. In partnership with SMAS, POCARI SWEAT hopes to educate on appropriate hydration techniques and share their sports know-how with not only high-performance athletes, but also recreational sports participants, so that everyone can make better informed choices.
Under the partnership, POCARI SWEAT and SMAS will work to educate sports professionals and the public by disseminating accurate information on sports-related topics like proper hydration. By providing more accessible resources for the public, POCARI SWEAT aims to highlight that beyond the common belief that the body needs water to compensate for fluid losses during perspiration, electrolyte imbalances and low blood sugar levels are also major causes for concern in prolonged exercise.
During the Sports Medicine Series virtual seminar, speaker Mr. Derrick Ong, Principal Dietitian at Eat Right Nutrition Consultancy further explained, “Electrolytes are minerals that are lost in sweat and need to be replaced as exercise progresses. How much to replace is dependent on several factors including individual sweat rate, amount of sodium in one’s sweat, and environmental conditions. Generally, it is recommended to hydrate with isotonic
drinks like POCARI SWEAT after at least 1 hour of moderate to high-intensity physical activity. POCARI SWEAT’s electrolyte concentration resembles the natural fluid balance in the human body, which can help replenish lost water and electrolytes that the body needs after exercise.”
SMAS and POCARI SWEAT believe that it is important to deliver evidence-based advice to both competitive athletes and sports enthusiasts alike. SMAS and POCARI SWEAT will jointly organise educational events with sports science and sports medicine professionals to throw light on interesting sports-related subjects. These seminars aim to appeal not only to the sports science and sports medicine community, but also the general population, bringing POCARI SWEAT to a wider audience.
“At POCARI SWEAT, we make sure that our products are constantly tested, up to date with the latest scientific findings and most of all, effective for all our consumers. We believe in creating an impact that will help build a long-lasting benefit to the health of a community. As such, we are proud to partner with SMAS to provide insightful information on proper hydration and a spectrum of other sports science topics to encourage a healthy lifestyle,” comments Mr. Joshua Lee, Country Manager of POCARI SWEAT Singapore.
SMAS President, Dr. Dinesh Sirisena adds, “As a professional sports medicine and sports science association, we believe that POCARI SWEAT rehydrates suitably after exercise, especially in hot climates like Singapore. We are excited to work with POCARI SWEAT to share sports science research and educate the general public about the benefits of sports and exercise.”
This partnership with POCARI SWEAT is the first collaboration for SMAS, which will commence in May 2021. POCARI SWEAT and SMAS will work together to disseminate and improve the quality of sports-associated information and resources throughout 2021 and 2022.
