Gatorade creator dies of kidney failure at age 80 2 hours, 9 minutes ago
Robert Cade, who invented Gatorade, pioneering the multimillion dollar energy drinks industry, died Tuesday of kidney failure, the University of Florida (UF) announced. Cade was 80.
Cade, a kidney specialist, died at the UF, where he and a team of researchers developped the drink in 1965 as a way to keep the Gators, the university's American football team, hydrated on the field.
"The mixture of glucose and sodium didn't taste like much until his wife suggested they add lemons," UF said in a statement.
"We got lemon squeezers' cramp after five lemons," Cade joked in 2005. "We liked the taste of it though no one else did. Then we made it sweet and we thought it tastes very good."
UF said the beverage made its first big headlines in 1966, when sports writers suggested the beverage helped improve the Gators' performance.
"One Lil'Swig of That Kickapoo Juice and Biff, Bam, Sock, It's Gators, 8-2," the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville headlined one story at the time.
Gatorade has brought in more than 150 million dollars in revenue to the University of Florida since its invention, and sparked a major worldwide sports drink industry.
"Today, with his passing, the University of Florida lost a legend, lost one of its best friends and lost a creative genius," said Dr. Edward Block, chairman of the UF's department of medicine.
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27 Nov 2007, 6:59 pm
