Beyond Beverages: Gatorade Unveils Science Lab, Pushes Deeper Into Sports Nutrition
Gatorade’s new facility will serve as a hub for athlete research to bring new sports nutrition products to market, including tablets
Gatorade is going from the sidelines to the frontlines of science, opening a research and development lab to support product development across its portfolio of brands, including Fast Twitch, Propel, Muscle Milk and Evolve.
The Gatorade Sports Science Institute, located in Valhalla, N.Y., joins PepsiCo’s research and development center and will also serve as a lab for athlete research. The goal is health and performance optimization via science and innovation.
PepsiCo acquired Gatorade in 2001 and has steadily been pushing into sports nutrition.
Gatorade says the new state-of-the-art facility has an environmental chamber for testing the body’s responses to hot and humid conditions, along with measuring metabolism, body composition, muscle performance, biochemistry and capabilities in mental performance testing.
“At GSSI, we are committed to athlete research to ensure we are always innovating to meet their ever-changing needs,” said Dr. Lindsay Baker, research and development director at GSSI. “The first step in product creation has and will always be athlete insights, and the critical work the team is doing across our GSSI labs helps bring those insights to the forefront of our innovation pipeline. This new lab will study the effects of exercise, hydration and nutrition on the human body and mind to help us provide personalized solutions for each athlete.”
The R&D center was the hub where Gatorade recently expanded its portfolio with the new Gatorade Zero and Propel Immune Support tablets. The tablets are slated to hit shelves this month, allowing consumers an on-the-go option.
Gatorade says the tablets mark the first cross-portfolio launch since all of PepsiCO’s sports and fitness brands were unified under the Gatorade portfolio.
“With solutions in ready-to-drink, powder, supplement and now tablet form, we’re advancing our business forward by reaching more athletes and exercisers on more occasions,” said Marissa Pines, senior marketing director at Gatorade. “That’s the power of the Gatorade Portfolio. We’ve strategically built our business to have a solution for everyone, no matter how they choose to hydrate.”
PepsiCo invested in energy drink company Celsius last year, announcing a long-term distribution agreement as part of a $550 million deal that assigned the food and beverage giant as Celsius’ preferred global distribution partner. Last month, PepsiCo beat earnings expectations and said it expected full-year revenue to grow 8% for the year, up from a previous estimate of 6%.
