Dr. Robert Cade, Inventor of Gatorade, Dead at 80

Published January 13, 2015

The man who invented Gatorade and sparked the multimillion-dollar sports-drink industry has died.

Dr. Robert Cade died Tuesday of kidney failure. He was 80.

The University of Florida announced his death. That's where he and other researchers created Gatorade in 1965 to help the school's football players replace carbohydrates and electrolytes lost through sweat while playing in swamp-like heat.

It was first tested on freshmen. Eventually, the use of the sports beverage spread to the Gators, who enjoyed a winning record and were known as a "second-half team" by outlasting opponents.

After the Gators beat Georgia Tech 27-12 in the Orange Park, Tech coach Bobby Dodd told reporters his team lost because "we didn't have Gatorade ... that made the difference."

Cade worked until he was 76. He retired in November 2004 from the university, where he taught medicine, saw patients and conducted research.

Cade and his wife had six children.

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