Gatorade Brands

Available in more than 80 countries, Gatorade's line of performance drinks adds over 45 years of rehydration and sports nutrition research to the PepsiCo portfolio.

Born in the lab

In early summer of 1965, a University of Florida assistant football coach sat down with a team of university physicians and asked them to determine why so many of his players were being affected by heat and heat-related illnesses.

The researchers Dr. Robert Cade, Dr. Dana Shires, Dr. H. James Free and Dr. Alejandro de Quesada soon discovered two key factors that were causing the Gator players to "wilt": the fluids and electrolytes the players lost through sweat were not being replaced, and the large amounts of carbohydrates the players' bodies used for energy were not being replenished.

The researchers then took their findings into the lab, and scientifically formulated a new, precisely balanced carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage that would adequately replace the key components lost by Gator players through sweating and exercise. They called their concoction "Gatorade."

Furthering the science of victory

Two decades after Dr. Cade and his team worked diligently to develop the optimum hydration formula that would become Gatorade, the Gatorade Sports Science Institute was founded in Barrington, Illinois, to conduct scientific research in the areas of exercise science, hydration, and sport nutrition. Three years later, the lab would be expanded to provide advanced testing for athletes and new Gatorade products and flavors and develop education materials for sports health professionals around the world.

In 1983, Gatorade became the official sports drink of the NFL — a title it holds to this day. Gatorade also is the official sports drink of the NBA and WNBA, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, more than 70 Division I colleges, and numerous other elite and professional organizations and teams.

Rising to new challenges

After years of careful research by the staff at GSSI into the needs of athletes engaged in high-demand training and competition, Gatorade launched the Gatorade Performance Series, an elite line of sports nutrition products, in 2001. These products include Gatorade Energy Drink, Gatorade Energy Bar, and the Gatorade Nutrition Shake.

Four years later, after studying endurance athletes, GSSI developed the Gatorade Endurance Formula. Featuring a higher concentration of sodium the key electrolyte found in Original Thirst Quencher and four other electrolytes lost in sweat, Gatorade Endurance Formula became a mainstay on racetracks the world over.

The G Series

In 2010, Gatorade refocused its efforts and began taking a more holistic approach to sports hydration and nutrition. The result was the G Series, developed by GSSI with two new focuses in mind: getting the body ready for exercise and helping the body recover afterward. Each portion of the series is designed to help athletes compete before, during and after athletic events

G Series 01 Prime: Pregame fuel in a 4-ounce pouch, intended to be consumed 15 minutes before activity. It provides carbohydrates and nutrients that muscles need before they start working.

G Series 02 Perform: Includes four products that replace nutrients and electrolytes that athletes burn off or sweat out during peak points of physical exertion.

• Gatorade Thirst Quencher - Original Gatorade
• G2 - Low-calorie thirst quencher for athletes engaging in lighter activity
• Gatorade Thirst Quencher Powder
• G2 Powder

G Series 03 Recover: A postgame protein and carbohydrate drink that is designed for consumption within an hour after activity. It has a similar consistency to Gatorade Thirst Quencher, so it can rehydrate as it helps muscles recover after exercise.

G Natural: Also released in 2010, G Natural and G2 Natural provide the same benefits as the original Gatorade Thirst Quencher and G2 in the G Series. Taking a cue from their names, both products use natural flavors and ingredients, such as sea salt, fruit flavors and natural sweeteners. G Natural and G2 Natural are sold in Whole Foods stores in select cities and at natural-foods grocers throughout the United States.

From one series to three

Between February 2010 and May 2011, Gatorade released two additional series focused on meeting the needs of two different groups of athletes: ultra-endurance athletes and fitness athletes. Both G Series PRO and G Series FIT incorporated the same three-stage approach, focusing on the before (01 Prime), during (02 Perform) and after (03 Recover) occasions.

G Series PRO: This product hit the shelves of GNC and Dick’s Sporting Goods throughout the United States in spring 2010 and is available in specialty stores nationwide. It is targeted toward ultra-endurance athletes who need high levels of carbohydrates, protein and calories to compete in long-distance, high-intensity events like marathons, triathlons and Ironman competitions.

• G Series PRO 01 Prime - Includes three products designed to deliver the nutrients that bodies need before engaging in elite-level training or competition:
  • Prime Pouch — Similar to the G Series 01 Prime pouch, this should be consumed 15 minutes before the start of activity. It provides carbohydrates and nutrients to muscles before they start working.
  • Carb Energy Drink — Contains both slow- and fast-acting carbs that help sustain activity throughout a competition. This should also be consumed an hour before activity.
  • Nutrition Bar — A quick, easy way to bridge the gap between meals. Each bar provides whey and casein protein from milk to promote normal muscle growth while also providing carbohydrates to top off glycogen stores within the liver.
• G Series PRO 02 Perform — Features three products that replace nutrients and electrolytes that athletes burn off during peak levels of physical exertion:
  • Endurance Formula — Has twice the sodium and three times the potassium of original Gatorade Thirst Quencher to sustain longer, more intense durations of activity.
  • Endurance Formula Powder
  • Gatorlytes — Helps prevent muscle cramps. Works best if mixed with a bottle of 02 Perform and consumed 30 to 60 minutes before exercise.
• G Series PRO 03 Recover - Both of these products focus on providing athletes with the nutrients they need to recover after elite-level training or competition:
  • PRO Recover — Much like G Series 03 Recover, this is designed to be consumed 30 minutes to an hour after activity and has the same consistency of original Gatorade Thirst Quencher so it can hydrate while it rebuilds muscles. It uses a carbohydrate protein blend to help muscles recover and rehydrate after activity.
  • Protein Recovery Shake — A mix of carbohydrates, protein, electrolytes and other important nutrients that comes in two servings for immediate and delayed recovery after activity. One serving should be consumed 30 to 60 minutes after exercise and the other 1-2 hours later.

G Series FIT: The newest Gatorade series was released in April 2011 and is sold at Safeway, Sports Authority, Target and Walgreens throughout the United States. Compared with the other two series, G Series FIT is lower in calories, carbohydrates and protein, but it still provides these and other important nutrients that bodies need during a workout.

• G Series FIT 01 Prime — Comes in four individually wrapped bites at 50 calories per piece, allowing for customizable portions. It provides pre-workout energy from natural sources like fruits and nuts.
• G Series FIT 02 Perform — Lightly flavored drink that uses the same combination of sodium and potassium as original Gatorade Thirst Quencher to replace electrolytes lost in sweat, with 20 calories per bottle.
• G Series FIT 03 Recover — Post-workout protein and carbohydrate smoothie with 120 calories per bottle.

Learn more about Gatorade, visit www.gatorade.com.

• Gatorade on Facebook -Official Gatorade Facebook Page
• Gatorade on Twitter -@gatorade

Propel Zero

Propel Zero is a no-calorie beverage product from Gatorade that comes in water or powder form. It goes beyond hydration as it replenishes with antioxidants and vitamins while quenching thirst with great-tasting flavors.

• Water: Berry, Grape, Black Cherry, Lemon, Blueberry Pomegranate, Kiwi-Strawberry, Peach
• Powder: Lemonade (with calcium), Citrus Punch (with calcium), Cherry Lime (with calcium), Berry, Raspberry Lemonade, Grape, Lemon, Kiwi-Strawberry

Environmental Efforts

Gatorade uses a proprietary air-rinse technology to clean newly manufactured bottles with air instead of water in all Gatorade and Propel manufacturing plants. This technology is helping save almost 150 million gallons of water per year. The company is also instituting comprehensive “water mapping” at manufacturing facilities and increasing awareness of water conservation with associates.

Download a video about Gatorade's environmental efforts. (48 MB)