Gatorade is the brand name for a product line of non-carbonated sports drinks. PepsiCo currently owns the Gatorade brand and markets these beverages as a replacement for fluids and electrolytes during strenuous exercise. Quaker Oats Co. is a division of PepsiCo that actually manufactures Gatorade drinks. The Gatorade brand has changed ownership several times in its history from intense competition in the sports drink market.
Origin
Medical researchers at the University of Florida created the original Gatorade in 1965 in response to concerns about the Florida Gators' performance. This football team defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the 1967 Orange Bowl, and Florida's coach credited Gatorade with the victory.
Licensing
Stokely-Van Camp originally produced and distributed Gatorade. The Quaker Oats Co. prevailed in a bidding war with Pillsbury to acquire Stokely-Van Camp in 1983. PepsiCo brought out the Quaker Oats Co. in 2001 for the specific purpose of owning the Gatorade brand. The University of Florida continues to receive royalties on Gatorade sales.
Ingredients
The original Gatorade formula basically consisted of water, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, salt, artificial flavorings and colorings. The manufacturer replaced the high-fructose corn syrup with a dextrose-sucrose blend in 2010. Gatorade flavors include fruit punch, grape, lemon-lime and orange.
Versions
New versions of Gatorade beverages have included special products such as AM, Fierce, Rain and X-Factor. The primary differences in these product and is generally marketing, with only minor changes to the formula. For example, one of the Rain line of products has a lighter taste and comes in a bottle similar to that of the original Gatorade.
Additional Products
The Gatorade product line also includes an energy bar introduced in 1999. It's intended to compete with similar products such as Clif Bar and PowerBar. Gatorade also introduced Propel Fit Water in 2000. This brand of water contains vitamins, acesulfame potassium and sucralose as official sweeteners.
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