Gatorade, Sports drink brand in Gainesville, Florida, United States
Gatorade is a sports beverage formulated with water, electrolytes including sodium and potassium, and carbohydrates designed to help athletes replenish fluids and energy lost through physical exertion and sweating.
Gatorade was developed in 1965 by Dr. Robert Cade and his research team at the University of Florida College of Medicine to address dehydration problems affecting the Florida Gators football players during practices in hot conditions.
The Gatorade shower, where players dump a cooler of the drink over a winning coach's head, became a widespread sports celebration tradition after it was popularized following Super Bowl XXI in 1987.
A commemorative plaque marking Gatorade's invention is located near the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, recognizing the site where sports nutrition science was revolutionized and a new industry was born in 1965.
The original Gatorade formula tasted salty and unpleasant until Dr. Cade's wife, Mary, suggested adding lemon juice to improve the flavor, making the beverage more acceptable to athletes and enabling its widespread adoption.
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