Coming to the Gators’ Aid
The Florida Gators may have lost the SEC Championship Game earlier this month, but they’re a lot better off than they were 44 years ago.
In 1965, the Gators could barely stay on their feet. The hot Florida weather was getting to them, and no matter how much water they drank, the players couldn’t stop from getting dehydrated. The team’s coach was troubled by this and consulted the team doctor. The team’s doctor was also troubled by this, and it was he who consulted Dr. Robert Cade.
Cade was working at the University of Florida as a medical researcher. The football team’s conundrum was curious to him, and he began leading a small team of researchers to get to the bottom of it.
The problem, they realized, was that the body was suffering from the loss of fluids and electrolytes. That was the problem. And the solution? Well, Cade was still working on that.
Cade and his researchers began mixing together concoctions that would, ideally, revitalize the players’ bodies with water, salts, and minerals to keep the athletes strong. They threw in some lemon juice, for taste, and began feeding the Gators.
And it worked. The Gators won their first Orange bowl in 1967 and gave much of the credit to Cade’s new miracle drink, which he had named “Gatorade,” after the team.
Gatorade quickly gained notoriety as the rehydrating drink of choice for sports players.
After winning the 1987 Super Bowl, the New York Giants dumped a jug of Gatorade over their coach’s head.
From that moment on, Gatorade’s place in sports history was solidified.
Today, Gatorade is the official sports drink of the NFL, the MLB, the NBA, the NHL, and many more.
Resources
http://www.gatorade.com/history/
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