1960
1965 - Born in the lab
In early summer of 1965, the assistant coach of the University of Florida’s American Football team – the Florida Gators - 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 DISCOVERY
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.
SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT
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’.
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1967 - Proven on the field
The Florida Gators varsity team, led by legendary coach Ray Graves and fuelled by Gatorade, win the coveted Orange Bowl for the first time in their history, beating the favoured Georgia Tech. In the game Gators running back Larry Smith has a 94-yard touchdown run setting an Orange Bowl record. After the game, Georgia’s coach Bobby Dodd tells Graves, “We didn’t have Gatorade – that made the difference”
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1969 - From the Orange Bowl to the Super Bowl
In the summer of 1969, Coach Ray Graves of the Florida Gators suggested to the Kansas City Chiefs that they use Gatorade to combat the staggering effects of a blistering Missouri sun during training camp. The Chiefs were so impressed with the “Gator coach’s aid” that they kept it on their sidelines throughout the entire season… which concluded with a stunning victory over the heavily favoured Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
1980
1983 - Official sports drink of the NFL
In the years that followed, more and more NFL teams began placing Gatorade on the sidelines of their games and practices, and in 1983, Gatorade became the official sports drink of the NFL—a title it holds to this day.
1984- The Gatorade Dunk is Born
From college games to the Super Bowl, the Gatorade dunk quickly becomes a tradition which sees the winning team pour a cooler of Gatorade over their coach.
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1985- The Gatorade Sports Science Institute is founded
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 flavours and develop education materials for sports health professionals around the world. Today the GSSI continues to work with the best athletes around the world.
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1990
Michael Jordan signs for Gatorade and helps introduce it to a new generation of athletes.
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2000
2008- Gatorade arrives in the UK
The world’s biggest sports drink brand finally arrives in the UK, bringing over 40 years of sporting history and global expertise to British athletes.
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2010
2011- G Series Pro comes to the UK
Gatorade evolves with the G Series Pro - consisting of 01Prime, 02Perform and 03Recover to ensure that athletes are fuelled before, during, and after the game.
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