Gatorade was first developed in 1965 by researchers at the University of Florida, to replenish the combination of water, carbohydrates, and electrolytes that the school’s student-athletes lost (in sweat) during rigorous athletic competitions. Its name was derived from the collective nickname of the university’s athletic teams, “the Gators”. Originally produced and marketed by Stokely-Van Camp, the Gatorade brand was purchased by the Quaker Oats Company in 1983, which sold it to PepsiCo in 2001. As of 2010, Gatorade is PepsiCo’s 4th-largest brand, on the basis of worldwide annual retail sales.
Since its introduction to the consumer market, Gatorade has been marketed more aggressively as being a better way for you to rehydrate your body especially if you play sports; as a result more and more young kids are drinking Gatorade. The problem with kids drinking Gatorade happens when they drink it all of the time. Like soda, Gatorade comes in large 16 to 32 oz containers, which is more than one serving. If you look at the Gatorade label a single serving (8 fl oz) contains 14 grams of sugar but most large Gatorade bottles contain 4 servings, that is a whopping 56 grams of sugar that your little one is consuming and kids today drink 2 or more of these bottles a day.
If your child participates in outdoor sports especially in the Arizona heat where the temps have been in the triple digits, then Gatorade is a great way to replenish lost salt and electrolytes but they really only need a single serving. The best way to rehydrate your body is with plain cool water. The human body knows how to balance itself naturally and has been doing just that since man has been walking the earth.
Here is a homemade version of Gatorade that will be easier on your wallet and you can limit the amount of artifical colors and lab created sugar substitutes that Pepsi Co. and other companies use. If you use the receipes for yourself or your kids please leave a comment and let us know how you liked it.
*Recipes were found at http://sportsgirlsplay.com/recipes-for-homemade-sports-drinks/
Homemade Sports Drink Recipe #1
· 10 tbs. sugar (5/8 cups or 120 grams)
· .75 tsp Sea salt (4.2 grams) or Morton’s lite
· 1 package of unsweetened Kool-Aid mix for flavor
· Water to make 2 liters
The recipe will give a total of 124 grams of solute which in 2 liters water gives a total of 6.2% concentration. For an 8 oz serving this gives:
· 14.2 grams carbohydrate (6%)
· 53 calories
· 103 mg Sodium
· 121 mg Potassium
You’ll notice that the amount of potassium is quite a bit higher than Gatorade, but the rest is pretty close. If you wanted to reduce the potassium, another option would be to use 1/2 tsp. each of regular sea salt and the Morton Lite Salt. This would change it to:
· 104mg sodium
· 40mg potassium
Homemade Sports Drink Recipe #2
If you wanted to reduce the amount of potassium, or simply didn’t want to buy some Morton Lite Salt, here is another option.
· 1/2 cup orange juice
· 9 tbs. Sugar
· 3/8 tsp Salt
· Water to 2 liters
