![]() The Gatorade logo, produced by TBWA\Chiat\Day[1] | |
Product type | Sports drink Nutrition bar Protein drink Other sports nutrition products |
---|---|
Owner | PepsiCo (via Quaker Oats Company via Stokely-Van Camp, Inc.) |
Country | United States |
Introduced | September 9, 1965[2] |
Markets | 80 countries including the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, United Kingdom and Australia |
Previous owners | Robert Cade Stokely-Van Camp |
Website | gatorade |
Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. The drink is manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries.[3] The beverage was developed in 1965 by a team of researchers led by Robert Cade. It was originally made for the Gators at the University of Florida to replenish the carbohydrates that the school's student-athletes burned and the combination of water and electrolytes that they lost in sweat during vigorous sports activities.
Created at University of Florida, then produced and marketed by Stokely-Van Camp in 1965, the Gatorade brand was purchased by the Quaker Oats Company in 1983, which, in turn, was bought by PepsiCo in 2000.[4] As of 2010, Gatorade is PepsiCo's fourth-largest brand, on the basis of worldwide annual retail sales.[5] It competes with Coca-Cola's Powerade and Vitaminwater brands worldwide, and with Lucozade in the United Kingdom. Within the United States, Gatorade accounts for approximately 67.7% of market share in the sports drink category.[6]