You learn something new everyday and maybe today, this is one of those things:
Gatorade was created in 1965 when researchers were formulating a drink to rehydrate athletes from the University of Florida.
Following a request from Florida Gators football head coach Ray Graves, Gatorade was created to help athletes by acting as a replacement for body fluids lost during physical exertion. The earliest version consisted of a mixture of water, sodium, sugar, potassium, phosphate and real lemon juice.
Ten players on the University of Florida football team tested the first version of Gatorade during practices and games in 1965, and the tests were deemed successful. On the other hand, star quarterback Steve Spurrier said, “I don’t have any answer for whether the Gatorade helped us be a better second-half team or not... We drank it, but whether it helped us in the second half, who knows?”
Nonetheless, the football team credited Gatorade as having contributed to their first Orange Bowl win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1967, at which point the drink gained traction within the athletic community. Yellow Jackets coach Bobby Dodd, when asked why his team lost, replied: “We didn’t have Gatorade. That made the difference.”
Since the school’s nickname is the Gators, the initial idea for a name was Gator-Aid but eventually Gatorade won the final vote.
Talk about a major flex for the University of Florida!