Gatorade Makes Major Investment in Women’s Health

The sports drink giant is partnering with Venus Williams and leaning into scientific research to close long-standing gaps in women’s sports science, the latest move in Gatorade’s recent brand evolution

Gatorade is going all-in on women’s health, pushing forward a new performance-driven scientific initiative.

The legacy hydration brand is partnering with tennis star Venus Williams, who will serve as ambassador for “Body of Science,” a multiyear global research commitment to advance the science of women’s hydration and nutrition.

The Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI), the brand’s research arm with four decades of expertise in human performance, is taking a swing at the vast research gap in women’s health and sports, with men disproportionately making up the majority of study participants historically — a 2021 study found that only 6% of global sports science research focuses exclusively on women.

GSSI will study women’s needs across key life stages and critical health events, including the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and perimenopause. Already, 500 women have participated in early research. 

The work aims to address the 65 million women who report feeling that dehydration impacts their overall health, mood, focus and energy, according to a March 2026 study from market research firm Murphy Research.

“For over four decades, GSSI has been committed to understanding hydration and nutrition science,” said GSSI’s senior principal scientist, Dr. Kimberly Stein. “‘Body of Science’ represents a pivotal evolution of that mission — one that acknowledges and addresses a critical gap in research. By conducting and publishing peer-reviewed studies on women’s unique hydration and nutrition needs across life stages, we’re not just advancing the science; we’re establishing a new standard.”

“This research will empower women to perform at their best, inside and outside of sport, and navigate their bodies with evidence-based knowledge and solutions, not assumptions,” Stein added.

Williams is backing the initiative and its accompanying campaign, as other top-tier female athletes joined its launch film, including A’ja Wilson and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

“This work is so important because it’s not just about me, it’s about the women who come after me,” said Williams. “For decades, we’ve pushed our bodies to the limit based on research designed for men. What excites me most is that with ‘Body of Science’, Gatorade is asking the right questions about hydration and nutrition and conducting the studies that will give women the knowledge we have been missing. I’m committed to championing this work alongside them.”

The brand is known for sponsoring other big-name women’s sports stars, like Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark, Diana Flores, Candace Parker, Mallory Swanson, JuJu Watkins and Sophia Wilson. 

This is yet another recent shift in Gatorade’s branding and focus — in March, the sports drink giant announced its new line of lower-sugar, better-for-you beverages, tapping into the growing functional drink market. Gaterade just doubled down on that rebrand by announcing it would be phasing out all artificial dyes from its entire product line.