For people suffering from heatstroke, as long as they remain conscious, they should drink small amounts of cool, lightly salted water or sports drinks at frequent intervals — never gulp down large quantities. Alcohol and sugary drinks must be avoided

No cost involved. A bottle of sports drink costs just a few yuan.

The hourly volume below is preventive advice for people doing physical labor or vigorous exercise in heat who do not yet have heat illness; it is not a volume to give a person with heatstroke. Heavy sweating loses salts and minerals, and sports drinks can help replace them. The Chinese CDC published the “Guidelines on Prevention and Emergency Treatment of Heatstroke (2014),” which states: “Consume at least 2–4 cups of cool water per hour (500–1000 ml), ensuring the temperature is not excessively high; drinking should be done in small amounts at frequent intervals.” It also advises: “Avoid beverages containing alcohol or large amounts of sugar, as these lead to further fluid loss. Do not consume overly cold drinks.” For heatstroke specifically, the guidelines explicitly warn: “Do not give the patient any water to drink.” NIOSH in the U.S. recommends encouraging “small, frequent sips of cool water” for heat exhaustion, and for heat cramps, suggests sports drinks with sugar and electrolytes every 15–20 minutes — “do not use salt tablets.”

中国疾病预防控制中心职业卫生与中毒控制所 (2014). 公众高温中暑预防与紧急处理指南（2014 版）. https://niohp.chinacdc.cn/sndt/201405/t20140530_97623.htm ; US CDC/NIOSH. Heat-Related Illnesses. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/heat-stress/about/illnesses.html

The 2014 version of the China CDC guidelines states that heavy sweating leads to the loss of salt and minerals, which must be replenished, and sports drinks can help with this, so water should contain a bit of salt. Drinking in small amounts frequently is also a requirement of these guidelines. The instruction 'do not drink iced drinks' also comes from these guidelines, with the reason being fear of stomach cramps, though there is no quantified evidence. Do not misinterpret this as 'cannot use cold methods for external cooling.' Item 22 (undressing and splashing water to cool down when experiencing dizziness and nausea in high temperatures) discusses several cooling methods. These are: wiping with cool water, cold water immersion, and applying ice packs to the head, armpits, and groin. These methods are to be applied to the body, not ingested. Cooling always takes precedence over rehydration. For those who are not fully alert or speaking unclearly, do not feed them even a single sip.