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July 24, 2008 7:33:54 AM CDT

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Creator of Gatorade Dies

Posted Nov 27, 07 9:36 PM CST in US,  Business,  Sports,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – The University of Florida researcher who invented Gatorade 40 years ago to hydrate his school football team died today at age 80. Dr. Robert Cade's first batch tasted a bit like "toilet bowl cleaner," but a little sugar and lemon juice fixed that. Today, the ubiquitous sports drink is a $5 billion industry unto itself, the Houston Chronicle reports.

"It's probably the second-most relevant brand in all of sports," behind Nike, says CNBC anchor Darren Rovell, who has written a book on the drink. It took its name from Florida's football team, the Gators, whose players had long struggled with dehydration. Cade loved the drink's success, but for less obvious reasons. "He would talk about how Gatorade helped cure diarrhea-related diseases in Third World countries," Rovell said.

Source Houston Chronicle

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Toronto Blue Jays pitcher A.J.Burnett, left, pours a bucket of Gatorade onto teammate Dustin McGowan in what has become a tradition in professional athletics. (AP Photo/Adrian Wyld,CP)   (Associated Press)
A rainbow of Gatorade choices have emerged from its initial invention by Dr. Robert J. Cade. From top: Frost Glacier Freeze, Frost Riptide Rush, X-Factor Fruit Punch Berry, X-Factor Orange Tropical...   (KRT Photos)
Dr. Robert Cade, creator of the sports-drink has died at the age of 80.   ((c) Fillmore Photography)
Gatorade is consumed in the land of its origins at the University of Florida.   ((c) randomduck)
Dr. Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade and a University of Florida professor, is shown in this Nov. 24, 1999 file photo in Gainesville, Fla. Cade, who invented the sports drink Gatorade and launched...   (Associated Press)
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football  • Florida  • Nike  • University of Florida  • sugar


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