The History of Gatorade
The University of Florida football team was often troubled with illness caused by excessive heat.
In 1965, one of the coaches, Dwayne Douglas approached another kind of team – four scientists – to come up with a solution to the problem.
In 1966, the professors completed research and refinement started the year before, on a new product to help football players replenish electrolytes and stay hydrated during extremely hot and humid weather that typically and especially in central Florida affected players during pre-session training and early season games.
They added a citrus like flavor, to make it easier for players to drink in sufficient quantities. The artificially-flavored lime, pale green fluid became known as Gatorade, in recognition of how it was designed to help the Florida Gators football team.
Gatorade was first used on the Gator football players in the LSU game at Florida Filed in October, 1965.
In 1966 Jim Cunningham, the Gator trainer, called and said they wanted Gatorade for every game and for every practice.
By 1983, it was the official drinks of the National Football League.
Robert Cade, who had obtained a patent for the greenish-yellow drink, agreed to have it produced and marketed by Stokely-Van Camp. However, the university sued Cade in 1973, claiming it owned the rights to Gatorade; as a result of the settlement, it currently received royalties on the dunk’s sales.
Stokely-Van Camp was sold to Quaker Oats in 1983, which in turn licensed the Gatorade line to PepsiCo.
In 2001, Pepsi bought out Quaker.
The History of Gatorade
The University of Florida football team was often troubled with illness caused by excessive heat.
In 1965, one of the coaches, Dwayne Douglas approached another kind of team – four scientists – to come up with a solution to the problem.
In 1966, the professors completed research and refinement started the year before, on a new product to help football players replenish electrolytes and stay hydrated during extremely hot and humid weather that typically and especially in central Florida affected players during pre-session training and early season games.
They added a citrus like flavor, to make it easier for players to drink in sufficient quantities. The artificially-flavored lime, pale green fluid became known as Gatorade, in recognition of how it was designed to help the Florida Gators football team.
Gatorade was first used on the Gator football players in the LSU game at Florida Filed in October, 1965.
In 1966 Jim Cunningham, the Gator trainer, called and said they wanted Gatorade for every game and for every practice.
By 1983, it was the official drinks of the National Football League.
Robert Cade, who had obtained a patent for the greenish-yellow drink, agreed to have it produced and marketed by Stokely-Van Camp. However, the university sued Cade in 1973, claiming it owned the rights to Gatorade; as a result of the settlement, it currently received royalties on the dunk’s sales.
Stokely-Van Camp was sold to Quaker Oats in 1983, which in turn licensed the Gatorade line to PepsiCo.
In 2001, Pepsi bought out Quaker.
The History of Gatorade
