I. Introduction
For the past 46 years, Gatorade has served as a tremendously popular sports drink around the world. Gatorade's selling points are its added carbohydrates, electrolytes, and vitamins that water, of course, does not contain. It claims to hydrate and nourish athletes better than water during their sports, allowing for a high level of performance over a long period of time. Dr. James Robert Cade is responsible for the invention of Gatorade when he first concocted the drink at the University of Florida in 1965.
Figure 1: Gatorade Logo
II. Discovery
In 1965 at the University of Florida, the coach of the Gators football team asked certain doctors at the University why his players were so affected by the heat. They concluded that water alone did not fully revitalize the players; they were also excreting electrolytes through sweat and burning carbohydrates through exercise. Therefore, the doctors began the process of creating a drink that would replenish all of the necessary nutrients in an athlete's body. This project was headed by Dr. James Robert Cade. The drink contained sucrose and glucose as carbohydrates and sodium and potassium salts as electrolytes. The doctors agreed that the concoction was ready for use. However, when a player spat out the unnamed drink upon tasting it, the doctors knew they had a little more work to do. After a failed attempt at improving the taste, Dr. Cade's wife suggested adding lemon juice. This significantly enhanced the taste, and the evolutionary concoction was complete. The only thing left to do was name it. Jim Free, a member of the team of doctors, fittingly named the drink Gatorade after the team for which it was made. Gatorade made its college football debut in October of 1965 during a game against LSU. The rest is history.
III. Biography
Dr. James Robert Cade was born on September 26, 1927 in San Antonio, Texas. After serving in the navy as a young man, he attended the University of Texas. In 1953, he married Mary Cade, a nurse from Dallas. In 1961, Dr. Cade joined the University of Florida medical school staff and worked there the rest of his life. Dr. Cade was a man of may talents, describing himself as a "physician, scientist, musician, and inventor". In addition to creating Gatorade, Dr. Cade also invented a high-protein milkshake used by medical patients and athletes, the first shock-dissipating football helmet, and a method for treating schizophrenia and autism through modifying one's diet. After leaving a rather large footprint on Gainesville, Florida and the rest of the world, Dr. James Robert Cade died on November 27, 2007.
Figure 2: Dr. James Robert Cade
IV. Impact on the World/Humanity
It would be an exaggeration to say that Gatorade has changed the world, but it has left its mark on the world of sports. Claiming to hydrate and revitalize athletes better than water, Gatorade has served as a beneficial sports drink to help keep athletes in top condition. Its impact on sports was demonstrated in the 1967 Orange Bowl when the Florida Gators defeated Georgia Tech (see link below). Although Gatorade was first produced solely for athletes at the University of Florida, it has since been promoted by famous athletes from nearly every sport, and appeared in most major sporting events. Gatorade can be used to give athletes around the world a boost of energy, or it can simply serve as a delicious drink.
V. Journal Article Review
In my journal article, a group of scientists studied and tested the physiological effects of water vs. gatorade during prolonged exercise. Participants in this experiment consisted of 10 "active" women between the ages of 19 and 22. These subjects participated in two 90-minute uphill walking sessions on a treadmill. During one session, the participants drank 32 ounces of Gatorade. During the other session, the participants drank 32 ounces of water. The results are as follows: There were no significant differences between the two drinks in the participants' blood pressure, body composition, and heart rate. There were significant differences in the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and weight change. When the participants drank Gatorade, they had a lower RPE than when they drank water. Furthermore, when the women consumed Gatorade, they experienced an increase in weight after exercise. In contrast, they experienced a slight weight loss upon consuming water during exercise. The authors concluded that Gatorade was marginally more beneficial than water regarding rate of perceived exertion and weight change during prolonged exercise in women between the ages of 19 and 22. However, the authors recognize that they used a small samples size, and their study did not include a control group.
VI. References
Danielson, A., Morris, L., Neiderhauser, L., Stanek, K., & Wolter, J. (n.d.). The physiological effects of water vs. gatorade during prolonged exercise.
December 2008. (n.d.). Billy Knight Took My Lunch Money. Retrieved May 01, 2011, from http://billyknighttookmylunchmoney.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html
Dr. Cade | Cade Museum. (n.d.). The Cade Museum for Innovation and Invention | Cade Museum. Retrieved May 01, 2011, from http://www.cademuseum.org/history/cade.aspx
Gatorade's G Movement: Action Against Hunger. (n.d.). FitCeleb.com. Retrieved May 01, 2011, from http://www.fitceleb.com/node/6558
Johnson, A. (n.d.). Description Of Gatorade | LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM - Lose Weight & Get Fit with Diet, Nutrition & Fitness Tools. Retrieved May 01, 2011, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/78085-description-gatorade/
Martin, D. (2011, May 01). J. Robert Cade, the Inventor of Gatorade, Dies at 80 - New York Times. The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Retrieved May 01, 2011, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/28/business/28cade.html
YouTube - The Legend of Gatorade. (n.d.). YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Retrieved May 01, 2011, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpCSvV70SCY
No comments:
Post a Comment