| Powerade | |
| Type: | Sports drink |
| Manufacturer: | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Origin: | United States |
Powerade is a sports drink created and sold by the Coca-Cola Company. Its primary competitor is Gatorade, which is owned by PepsiCo.
Powerade was created by the Coca-Cola Company and first released in 1987. The company developed the soft drink as an alternative to sports drinks, which were becoming more and more popular. Powerade was originally marketed to athletes, who needed a drink that would keep them hydrated during strenuous workouts.[1]
In 2000, Powerade became the official sports drink of the Olympics, alongside Aquarius, another sports drink made by Coca-Cola. It is a rival of another sports drink, Gatorade.[2] In July 2001, the Coca-Cola Company launched a new formula for Powerade including vitamins B3, B6 and B12, which play a role in energy metabolism.[3]
In 2007 Powerade acquired Fuze Beverage, a leading energy drink company.
In July 2002, the Coca-Cola Company started in Toogoolawah by updating the bottles of the standard Powerade (previous logo styling) to a new sport-grip bottle.
In 2002, the Coca-Cola Company introduced Powerade Option to the United States, in response to Gatorade's popular Propel. Option is a "low Calorie sports drink" that is colorless and sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium, to provide sugar-conscious consumers with another rehydration choice. Powerade Option took 36% of the Fitness Water category behind Propel's 42%.
In 2007, Powerade Zero was released, a sports drink with electrolytes, which contains no sugar, no calories and no carbohydrates.[4] [5]
In June 2009, the Coca-Cola Company bought Glacéau, owner of brands such as VitaminWater and SmartWater, for $4.1 billion, a price tag that signaled the company's seriousness in pursuing growth of non-carbonated beverages.[6] Since then, the company has also given its Glacéau management team control of its Powerade sports drink brand.
Powerade's main competitor is Gatorade marketed by the Quaker Oats Company, a division of PepsiCo. Gatorade, which was branded at the University of Florida in 1965, was the first commercially available sports drink in the United States. It now holds a commanding share of the market. As of 2011, Gatorade held a 70% market share compared to Powerade's 28.5%.[7]
All Sport is a competitor marketed by All Sport, Inc. and distributed by Jel Sert. All Sport was marketed by PepsiCo until 2001, when Gatorade's maker, the Quaker Oats Company was acquired by PepsiCo. All Sport was sold to the Monarch Beverage Company soon after. Powerade and All Sport have each been distributed through their own direct store deliver channels.[8] It was subsequently purchased by Gary Smith, the Chairman & CEO of All Sport, Inc. of Austin, Texas.
Outside the United States, the Lucozade energy drink (manufactured since 1927 by the pharmaceutical company now known as GlaxoSmithKline) competes with Powerade. Lucozade's formulation differs in that it uses primarily glucose and contains caffeine. The more direct competitor to Powerade and Gatorade is Lucozade Sport.
| Serving Size: | 20 fl oz (591 mL) |
| Kcal: | 130 |
| Fat: | 0 |
| Satfat: | 0 |
| Cholesterol: | 0 |
| Sodium Mg: | 100 |
| Potassium Mg: | 24 |
| Carbs: | 19 |
| Fiber: | 0 |
| Protein: | 0 |
| Vita Ug: | 0 |
| Vitc Mg: | 0 |
| Calcium Mg: | 0 |
| Iron Mg: | 0 |
| Sugars: | 34 |
Source:[12]
Note: Standard 8-ounce servings meet the FDA definition of 'low sodium' and have less sodium than a glass of chocolate milk.[13]
Like its main competitor, Gatorade, Powerade is made with sugar, syrups, and salt.[14] [15] One Powerade ad campaign stated that Powerade's ION4 is superior to Gatorade, as the claims made by Pepsi, the parent owner of Gatorade, were apparently deceptive and false.[16] The courts ruled in favor of Powerade as of August 2009.
Being high in sugar, Powerade may contribute to diabetes and weight gain if combined with other sugar sources.[15]