Too much cola zaps muscle power

They don't seem to differentiate colas from other sodas. A surprise to me, since I seem to recall hearing the high phosphorous content of colas can compete with some other mineral absorption (calcium, was it?) ...maybe compete with potassium?

Personally, I've felt better about my physical stamina when I surrender to my crave for a "fizzling" drink by going to some diet lemon-lime (no caffeine or sugar) rather than a "cola" (whether caffeinated or sugared). YMMV

The caffeine hypothesis may be contradicted by the experiences reported here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/health/nutrition/26best.ht...

I'm disappointed that the BBC article doesn't specify how to find Dr. Elisaf's study; I suspect he's far more detailed. The work appears only to warn that muscle weakness is more likely with large amounts of "cola" -- I presume Dr. Elisaf give some quantification of "large". They're suspicious of fructose, sucrose, and caffeine; a commentator here has already identified a fourth possible culprit. It could be specific amounts of any of those, of other ingredients (perhaps least likely, the Kola nut? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kola_nut), or of some combination of them. "Further research needed" is the only practical message I get from the BBC article.