At Gatorade, we want to help athletes level up their health and performance, and do it in a way that’s backed by real, peer-reviewed science.
That’s why we created the Gatorade Sports Science Institute — to research athletes and learn more about their hydration and nutrition needs. Since 1985, GSSI has monitored hundreds of amateur, elite and professional athletes at universities, mobile labs and our headquarters—resulting in research, peer-reviewed articles, findings we can bring out of the lab and onto the field.
Take a scroll through our history and learn about the key moments that made GSSI what it is today.
Gatorade Exercise Physiology Lab established and Gatorade research began
1st annual Gatorade Scientific Conference held
1st GSSI publication in a scientific journal
Inaugural Sports Medicine Review Board (SMRB) established
Inaugural Education Advisory Board (EAB) established
GSSI formally established
1st Sports Science Exchange (SSE) article published
1st volume of Perspectives in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine published
GSSI establishes partnership with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
1st Sports Science Exchange Roundtable (RT) published
1st GSSI Conference open to the public held (Ohio State University)
10th annual GSSI Scientific Conference held (Vancouver, Canada)
GSSIweb established
In-lab elite testing begin
“On-field” elite athlete testing begins
GSSI partners with R&D to commercialize the Gatorade In-Car Drinking System (GIDS) for NASCAR
GSSI tests 3 athletes training to run the Sahara. The run lasts 111 days, covers 4300+ miles, and is documented in the 2007 film “Running the Sahara”
Final GSSI Scientific Conference held (Huntington Beach, CA)
Asker Jeukendrup appointed GSSI Global Director
GSSI opens 1st satellite lab on the IMG Academy campus in Bradenton, FL
GSSI opens 1st international satellite lab on the Loughborough University campus (UK)
GSSI Expert Panel (XP) established, first meeting held (Sarasota, FL)
GSSI establishes partnership with the European College of Sports Science (ECSS)
GSSI supports Gatorade’s efforts with global football by partnering with CBF and FC Barcelona GSSI work commences on the 1st version of the Gx Platform
FC Barcelona and GSSI collaborate on the 1st version of the FC Barcelona Sports Nutrition Policy
GSSI Loughborough lab closes, repositioning to focus on field testing
GSSI IMG relocates to expanded lab on IMG Academy campus
2nd edition of the FC Barcelona Sports Nutrition Policy published as hardback book
GSSI opens 2nd US-based satellite lab, GSSI Frisco, located within the Baylor Scott & White Sports Therapy & Research building located on The Star campus (Frisco, TX)