Gatorade is coming out with a new caffeinated energy drink, Fast Twitch.
The launch in February will coincide with the Super Bowl, the company announced Thursday.
Each 12-ounce can of Fast Twitch will be free of artificial colors, sugar and carbonation, but will contain 200 milligrams of caffeine. For comparison, a 16-ounce can of Monster energy drink has 160 milligrams of caffeine.
The drink will debut on NFL sidelines this season for players to taste.
Fast Twitch, which will have five to 10 calories per can, will come in multiple flavors.
“Flavors at launch will be Strawberry Watermelon, Glacier Freeze, Orange, Strawberry Lemonade, Cool Blue, and Tropical Mango,” according to Beverage Digest.
Gatorade formulated the product with input from athletes and from the NFL, who renewed their sponsorship deal with Gatorade’s parent company PepsiCo in May.
“We found that a lot of athletes weren’t touching caffeine but wanted to because they know it can ignite both mental and physical performance,” Gatorade President Michael Del Pozzo told Beverage Digest.
Mr. Del Pozzo sees the athlete niche as a key market segment for Gatorade.
“We know there’s something like 35 million athletes who don’t engage in caffeinated energy today. We think Fast Twitch taps into a new segment,” he told Beverage Digest.
The purpose of Fast Twitch for athletes and other consumers is to provide energy before a workout. While Gatorade has traditionally emphasized hydration, caffeine is a diuretic that dehydrates the body; Fast Twitch is meant for before a workout, with consumers drinking a more hydrating beverage during and after exercise.
“Two hundred milligrams is the right amount to help athletes seeking benefits for exercise performance,” Matthew Pahnke of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute told CNBC.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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