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Rovell (2006) discuss the nutritional value of Gatorade taking science into consideration. Gray and Tilton (2000) and George, Palmer and Ponetar (2010 expand on the same issue Rovell (2006) discuss in their books. The relevance of these three books relative to this paper is that they give an account of how important science has been in the sporting world. By discovering Gatorade, science has produced a solution for the challenges facing athletes.
Stengler (2010), Doyle & Dunford( 2011), Sheth and Sisodia (2002) and Riazler (2011) discuss the specific nutritional values of other energy drink by breaking its contents down to their specific purposes in the body. The relevance of the four sources in relation to the paper at hand is that Gatorade is applauded ijn the four sources as a reliable source of energy.
New York magazine (1991), Stim , and American Benchmark Press are sources relevant to the writing of this paper in that they show events and reasons as to why Gatorade has been opted for use in place of other energy products.
Gatorade is a brand of beverage products and sports food that is manufactured by PepsiCo, and distributed in approximately eighty countries around the world. Researchers developed this drink at the University of Florida in order to replace the mixture of carbohydrates, water and electrolytes that the students who were athletes lost during the arduous competitions. Gatorade is derived from the word “the Gators”, which is a collective nickname of the athletic teams in the university. Within the United States, Gatorade accounts for around seventy-five percent of the market share in terms of sports drinks (Rovell 102).
Gatorade is believed to have been invented in 1965 by researchers such as Dana Shires, Robert Code and Harry James. It came into existence following a request by Ray Graves, the assistant coach for Gators football, to help athletes by being a hydrating auxiliary for the body’sfluids that athletes lost during hectic physical training during hot weather. The earliest forms of Gatorade consisted sodium, sugar,lemon juice, a mixture of water and phosphate. These contents of Gatorade were put to the test on the players in the football team of FloridaUniversity in games and during practice in 1965 and it was deemed successful. What this essentially means is that Gatorade helped as a hydrating agent for the players and this shows the effectiveness of the product (New York Magazine 87).
In 1988, a citrus cooler flavor was introduced to Gatorade. This flavor was very popular during this time as Michael Jordan at the peak of his NBA career stated that it was his favorite flavor. What this means is that the prowess of Michael Jordan was steered by his consumption of the Gatorade drinks. When playing basketball, Michael used a lot of energy and used to sweat a lot.However, when he took the Gatorade products,he got enough energy to stay strong through thecarbohydrates contained in the drink. The success of Michael can be partially attributed to his consumption of the energy drink- Gatorade.
In 1997, Gatorade came up with a sub-line called “Gatorade frost” to broaden the appeal of its brands beyond the competitive sports. Some flavors introduced during this time included Glacier Freeze, Alpine Snow and Whitewater Splash. These different flavors provided a variety to the athletes and the other sports people and helpedin avoiding monotony. The consumers described these flavors as “light tasting fruit flavor blends”. This sweet taste is also a contributing factor in the high consumption of Gatorade by athletes and the general public.
To avoid the monotony that may arise due to the Gatorade products being in beverage form, in 2001, the “Gatorade Energy Bar” was introduced. This energy bar contained a high proportion of proteins, carbohydrates, corn syrup, and puffed grains. This energy bar increased the variety of products by Gatorade in the market and also contained energy enhancing products to the athletes to avoid unnecessary energy losses. The carbohydrates helped increase energy in the bodies of athletes since they losta great deal of energy when practicingand competing. The proteins on the other hand, helped in muscle growth and are essential for preventing unnecessary sprains and fractures of bones (American Benchmark Press 68).
The Gatorade Performance series was introduced by Gatorade in 2001, which consisted of a special line of nutritious products for sports. Some of the products in this line included: Gatorade Protein Recovery Shake; Gatorade Carbohydrates Energy Drink; the Gatorade Nutrition Shake; and the Gatorade Nutrition Bar.These products further provided an assortment of Gatorade energy products where athletes and fanatics in general could choose from.All of the products,in one way or another helped regain lost energy and added energy hencepreventing cases of fainting caused by dehydration and lack of sufficient energy and blood flow.
The Endurance Formula that was introduced in 2004 contained three times Potassium and twice the Sodium of the typical Gatorade formula in addition to Calcium, Magnesium and Chloride. It helped replaceenergy the athletes lost when competing and training. The increased potassium and sodium acted as electrolytes in the body. They helped replace the lost nutrientsdue to sweating resulted from strenuous activity such as running or training. Once the drink is consumed, the lost nutrients are replaced in the body hence preventing such instances as dizzy spells (Gray 77).
Gatorade ice was introduced in 2002, which was a lighter flavored Gatorade that came in orange, watermelon lime and orange flavors. Gatorade ice was rebranded to Gatorade rain and the flavor selections altered. A low calorie line of Gatorade drinks was introduced in 2007 named G2. It contained different flavors including Grape, lemon lime, glacier freeze and StrawberryKiwi. These drinks have a low level of calories; therefore athletes remain healthy and full of energy at all times. Fewer calories prevent obesity cases amongst athletes and heart diseases which ruin efficacy in the sporting arena. That is why Gatorade is highly encouraged amongst athletes due to its low levels of calories.
Gatorade Tiger came into existence in 2008, which was a Gatorade thirst quencher sporting drink formed due to a sponsorship agreement with Tiger Woods. It also came in different flavors such as Cool Fusion(Lemon lime), Red Drive (Cheryl) and Quiet Storm made of grapes. It was later reformulated and rebranded in 2009 adding amino acids Theanine found in different types of tea. Amino acid Theanine helps in improving the mental focus of athletes. Mental focus is a crucial element when it comes to sporting activities not just in athletics but also to general client base. It helps the sportsmen focus on their call with the necessity of straying from the tasks at hand. Gatorade Tiger on the other hand is made from fruity substances therefore it has added vitamins. The vitamins in the fruits help in repairing worn out tissues in the body(George, Palmer & Penetar 122)
The latest development of Gatorade was in 2010 by the introduction of the G-series. The G- Series entails categorizing of Gatorade products into three main partitions; before, during, and after athletic occasions. This included the Prime 01 products that contained a pre-game fuel in gel form, for consumption before any gaming activities.Perform 02 class contains Gatorade powder and Gatorade Thirst Quencher to be consumed during periods of physical activity or exertion. Recover 03 is the third partition of the G-Series referred as a post workout carbohydrate and protein drink. The beverage has components that aid in the provision of both muscle recovery and hydration after the exercises. The Prime 01 drink contains energy giving nutrients that will enable the athlete stay energized for the entire period that he or she will be participating in the sporting activity while the Perform 02 will contain hydrating agents such as potassium and sodium to avoid excessive dehydration (Suozzo 90).
Gatorade is an electrolyte-rich drink. Those people that engage in strenuous activities or work and those that exercise regularly drink Gatorade before and after the exercises to help keep electrolytes in the body system while they sweat.This will helpretain the lost potassium, chloride and sodium in the body through sweat. This will prevent such impacts such as muscle cramps, headaches, diarrhea, dehydration and vomiting among other energy loss symptoms and dehydration effects. Electrolytes are excreted together with the sweat during perspiration and therefore Gatorade comes in handy to replace the lost electrolytes in the body of the athlete (Rinzler 104).
Gatorade contains water that helps during excessive perspiration to replace lost fluids in the body during strenuous exercises. The varied energy drinks by Gatorade contain carbohydrates in the form of dextrose and sucrose that are critical for optimum muscle functions during physical toil. This therefore means that the energy lost will be replaced immediately by the drink.
Based on the varied fruits that Gatorade drinks are made of, they have appealing colors and flavors that make it be highly on demand than plain water. This is the reason that has led the drink to being preferred by not only the athletes but also the comm0on citizen as a day to day drink. The drink comes in handy because it is also pocket friendly. Based on the economy people prefer drinks that are nutritious and at the same time not expensive.
Gatorade has a high osmolality. It is able to absorb well after ingestion I the blood stream or body better than water. Gatorade has the osmolality close to that of the human blood, which is why; it is well and rapidly absorbed in the body after intake. This is the reason why the athletes prefer to using it than other energy drinks in the market. It is better a drink to use than water for sports which has a very low osmolality rate. This drink does not have serious side effects since it is mostly made from fruit s and naturally occurring substances and not entirely chemicals.
Due to the quality and effectiveness of the drinks made by Gatorade, it has become the official sports drinks for best organizations and teams all over the world such as AVP, MLS, MLB, PGA, and NBA. This is because Gatorade has helped different athletes perform at their highest levels with proper hydration and energy levels. With the introduction of the G-series,
Gatorade has helped cater for the individual needs of different athletes at all the levels.