2. PREAMBLE
Gatorade and Powerade are sports drinks used by athletes to rehydrate and improve performance
during practices and competitions. Both brands are made with a mix of water, sugar, and
electrolytes to help replenish what was lost due to physical exertion and perspiration.
HISTORY
Gatorade was created in 1965 after a University of Florida assistant football coach sat down with
team doctors to discuss why so many players were being adversely affected by the heat during
practices and games. Researchers Dr.
Robert Cade, Dr. Dana Shires, Dr. H.
James Free and Dr. Alejandro de
Quesada discovered two key factors that
were causing the Gator players to drop
in performance: fluids and electrolytes
being lost as sweat by the players were
not being replaced, and the player had a
lack of energy from low levels of
carbohydrates. Gatorade was named
after the University of Florida's mascot,
the "Gator." Gatorade was purchased by
The Quaker Oats Co. in 1983 who were
bought by PepsiCo in 2001. It is currently sold in over 80 countries world-wide.
Powerade was created in direct competition to Gatorade. Powerade was introduced in 1988 by
Coca Cola and became the official sports drink of the Olympic Games along with Aquarius, another
sports drink at that time,

3. COMPOSITION
The composition of Gatorade has evolved and is currently a 6% carbohydrate drink made with high-
fructose corn syrup, natural flavoring ingredients, and artificial coloring.
Powerade’s listed ingredients include: water, high-fructose corn syrup, salt, potassium citrate,
phenylalanine, sucralose, sodium citrate, malic acid, potassium phosphate, vitamin B6 and vitamin
B2. Their ION4 version contains all four electrolytes in the correct ratio as found in sweat.

4. BENEFITS
Both Gatorade and Powerade help maintain electrolyte and carbohydrate balance through salt and
sugar.
Gatorade asserts that a 6% carbohydrate solution is ideal for absorption and energy production and
that "sports drinks with lower or higher concentrations than 6%
carbohydrate are unlikely to deliver on all these key attributes."
Powerade contains vitamins B6 and B12, both of which are active in the
production of energy but only if combined with food.
VARIETIES
Gatorade is marketed as the G Series which contains three main types of
sports drink: before, during, and after athletic events.
Prime 01 is the pre-game fuel that comes as a gel.
Perform 02 consists of traditional Gatorade products like Gatorade Thirst.
Quencher (Original Gatorade), G2, and Gatorade Powder are used during competition.
Recover 03 is the post-workout protein and carbohydrate drink. It provides hydration and muscle
recovery after exercise.
G Series Pro was developed for professional athletes and was being sold in Home Depot and Dick's
Sporting Goods in the U.S. in 2010.
G Natural is made with "natural flavors and ingredients” including Stevia, an artificial sweetener.

5. G Series Fit is formulated for before, during and after exercise like the three above but consists of
pre-workout fruit-and-nut bites, flavored electrolyte drinks, and post-workout protein recovery
smoothies.
The Coca-Cola Co. also produces Powerade Zero which is a zero-calorie flavored drink which uses
sucralose instead of sugar.
CONSIDERATIONS
Both products do benefit performance and recovery but only if you are exercising for a prolonged
period of time. However, due to the large amount of sugar it contains, unless you are vigorously
exercising for a minimum of one hour, the sports drinks will have no benefit other than to increase
your calorie intake. Drink water instead. As a comparison, running a mile will burn 130 calories
(depending on your speed and weight). If you drink a bottle of Powerade after your run, you are
adding 230 calories, Gatorade adds 310 calories. If you are trying to lose or maintain your weight by
running, this won’t help.
An interesting discussion between runners on which they use…
http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/nutrition-weight-loss/general-
nutrition/gatorade-vs-powerade

6. SPORTS DRINK ISSUE
Research done at the University of Maryland shows that tooth enamel is at risk when exposed to
sports beverages like energy drinks and sports drinks as well as fitness water.
Damage to tooth enamel was three to eleven times higher compared to soft drinks. Reason? The
acids it contains as additives.
The acids are combining with plaque and demineralizing the surface of the tooth so a cavity can
form. The worst offenders were lemonade, sports drinks and energy drinks. To a lesser extent,
fitness water, cola and ice tea did the same thing. To avoid the damage simply brush your teeth or
drink in gulps every so often instead of sipping which causes the liquid to stay in your mouth too
long.
THE NEWEST DANGER - BVO
BVO – Brominated Vegetable Oil is an ingredient that is added
to beverages to keep ingredients from separating causing oil to
rise to the top of the bottle. Bromine is an element that reacts
with iodine which can cause issues with the thyroid gland.
BVO is found in flame retardant upholstery and pajamas.
Strangely enough, we drink it and research is showing that it is
building up in people’s bodies including breast milk.
Scientific American has stated that there are apparent “links to impaired neurological development,
reduced fertility, early onset of puberty and altered thyroid hormones.”
Both PepsiCo and Coke openly use BVO as it is found in Gatorade, Powerade, Fresca, Fanta Orange,
Sunkist, and Mountain Dew.
Interestingly enough, BVO has been banned in the European Union and Japan. So really, how
valuable an ingredient is it if these products are sold in these countries without it?

7. Home Recipes
Why buy it when you can make? You know what you need – 8% sugar (8 grams per 100 mL of
water) and 1-2 grams per liter of salt.
Basic Sports Drink
1 liter water (32 oz)
1/3 cup glucose or sucrose
1/4 tsp table salt
Flavoring depending on your taste like orange or lemon juice
Keep refrigerated.
Sports Bottle Drink (20 oz)
3 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp table salt
Flavoring like orange or lemon juice, Kool-Aid or other drink mix.
Trying 2-3 Tbsp of juice or 1/3 pack of Kool-Aid.
Keep refrigerated.
Powdered Sports Drink
9 Tbsp sugar
3/8 tspn table salt
1 pack Kool-Aid or other drink mix.
Mix dry.
Split mixture into three ziplock bags.
Add 1 bag to 20-oz. of water in a sports bottle.

8. My name is Jacques Delorme and I am the
founder of ViSports. I have been around sports
for over 30 years as a player, official and a
certified coach in baseball, basketball, football,
volleyball and wrestling. I have coached all age
groups from 3 yr olds all the way up to a
masters team (over 35). I completed my
Bachelor of Education degree in Chemistry,
physical education and general science in 1990.
I went on to a career in teaching which also
had me involved in coaching badminton,
basketball, curling, football, little league
baseball, soccer, softball and track and field.
As a part of my coaching, I didn’t always stress proper nutrition. There was very little emphasis on eating
properly when I was an athlete. When my son started taking his training more seriously (and eventually play
on the Junior National Handball team), I gathered up to date information on sports nutrition to get him to
make the most of his efforts. As a result, I started taking classes and certifications and put what I learned
into three websites to communicate with others interested in learning more about the training, nutrition
and motivation of youth athletes.
Updates are made almost daily to my sites as feedback comes in and research studies are released. I will
continue to study and learn as much as I can about youth training, nutrition and motivation. My sites will
contain the most up to date information I can find. I have done presentations for sports groups, community
groups as well as schools. Once information is completed in late 2012, I will be releasing a new nutrition
book and training materials that will be available on my sites.
“Teach and guide our youth before the lessons they learn by trial and error alone render them incapable of
reaching their true potential.”
Jacques Delorme
Founder and CEO
“Opportunities are never lost…
someone will take the one you missed.”.