That's Fit

Dr. J. Robert Cade, the University of Florida doctor who invented Gatorade in 1965, died today at the age of 80 of kidney failure.

Cade invented Gatorade over forty years ago after a single question was asked of him by a former UF football coach: "Doctor, why don't football players wee-wee after a game?" The question obviously made Cade wonder for himself. His subsequent research led to the discovery that football players could lose as much as 18 pounds -- 90 to 95 percent of it being water -- over the course of a three hour game. Players were also found to sweat away sodium and chloride and actually lost blood volume and plasma volume.

This research led Cade and a few colleagues to develop a drink that would replenish the athletes' bodies and keep them properly hydrated. After trying a few different recipes, Cade's beverage soon made its way to the Florida Gators varsity football squad. That same year, the highly successful Gators were dubbed the "2nd-Half Team," referencing their ability to outlast their opponents in the later stage of play. This prolonged energy was largely credited to their use of Cade's drink, which would from then always be referred to as Gatorade.