Introducing Powerade - A sports-enhanced energy drink

POWERADE is a sports-enhanced energy drink that gives sportsmen better performance, stamina and agility, manufactured and marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. POWERADE was introduced in 1988 and made a grand entrance being the first energy drink to become the official sports drink of the Olympic Games held in Seoul. POWERADE is the official sports drink of the Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland rugby teams, the AFL, PGA Tour, NASCAR, NHRA, NCAA, the U.S. Olympic Team (excluding U.S.A. Basketball and U.S. Soccer, which have deals with Gatorade) and many other national Olympic federations, The Football League and many other soccer leagues and teams around the world, FIFA, such as Independiente de Avellaneda, O'Higgins or Cluv Atlético River Plate  and the IOC in no small part due to their overall contracts with Coca-Cola. Various other competitions also have sponsorship deals with the brand, although Gatorade historically has secured the lion's share of sponsorships. The drink is also Sponsor of the Honduran Soccer Team C.D. Olimpia. The brand is also the exclusive beverage sponsor of the Hoops in the Sun basketball summer league, based out at Orchard Beach in the Bronx, New York. It is the only summer basketball league to be sponsored by the brand.

In July 2001, POWERADE improved on its formula by adding different vitamins such as vitamins B3, B6 and B12 to increase energy metabolism. In 2002, POWERADE updated its logo to a new sport-grip bottle. In 2005, POWERADE introduced POWERADE Option to the United States, no doubt 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 "option".

 Ashutosh