Science & Football: How Gatorade Fueled the Dawn of Sports Medicine

Sixty years ago, in Gainesville, Florida, a new drink called Gatorade was created. The idea for Gatorade was sparked by an unlikely conversation between a University of Florida nephrologist named James Robert Cade and an assistant coach for the Florida Gators, Dewayne Douglas.

Dehydrated and occasionally hospitalized, players were losing their games. According to Cade’s research, they were also losing an average of 18 pounds of water and critical amounts of sodium and chloride per 3 ½ hour game. Cade developed a mix of replacement fluids, containing glucose, sodium, potassium, phosphate and water. It tasted awful. Liberally doctored with lemon juice to make it palatable, courtesy of Cade’s wife, Mary Strasburger, the innovative drink led to winning games. When the Gators swept the January 1967 Orange Bowl and defeated the hitherto unstoppable Georgia Tech, Gatorade’s reputation was firmly established.

Cade’s daughter, Phoebe Cade Miles, will speak about the scientific research and invention that propelled the Gators to victory, and the unlikely launch of a drink that changed the world of sports. The hybrid presentation will be followed by Q&A and an informal reception.

As a courtesy to our speaker, our door policy stipulates that all guests must arrive before 7pm.

“Science & Football: How Gatorade Fueled the Dawn of Sports Medicine” is part of our Science and Society and Joseph Priestley Society (JPS) series. Our Science and Society speaker series explores the history of science embedded in our everyday lives. We invite scientists, historians, policymakers, and educators for engaging, in-depth conversations that expand our perspectives. Named for the 18th-century scientist who discovered oxygen, JPS promotes a deeper understanding of science, technology, and industry, with an emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship..

Phoebe Miles is cofounder and board chair of the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville, Florida. The museum, named after Gatorade inventor (and Miles’s father) James Robert Cade, exists to transform communities by inspiring and equipping future inventors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries. Miles designed the museum’s proprietary education curriculum, Invent Possible, a framework for lifelong STEAM learning through the lens of invention. Invent Possible teaching units are tied to next generation science standards and will soon be available to teachers at all grades. In 2025 Forbes named her to the 50 over 50: Impact list.

A native of Gainesville, Miles graduated Phi Beta Kappa and received a BA in German, a BA in history, and a teacher’s certificate from the University of Washington in 1987. She is fluent in German and working on Spanish, Mandarin, and French. From 1988 to 2006, she and her husband spent over a decade living and working overseas in Germany, Barbados, and Argentina. They have lived intermittently in Washington, D.C., since 1992 and have three adult children and three grandchildren.

Featured image: Robert Cade with a can of Gatorade, courtesy of Phoebe and Richard Miles

Host or Publisher Science History Institute