Gatorade is about to launch a drink with a high caffeine content. The new product called Fast Twitch is aimed at athletes preparing for their workouts.
Caffeine is a pre-workout stimulant commonly used to provide energy and aid endurance.
The company says that Fast Twitch is designed to give athletes an extra boost before their workouts.
The new drink will not be seen in the Gatorade aisle
“Fast Twitch , could be correctly described as a cross between an energy drink and a sports drink. However, Gatorade will position Fast Twitch within the energy drink category on store shelves and in marketing,” Michael Del Pozzo, president and general manager of the Gatorade Performance Portfolio, told Beverage Digest.
A bottle of Fast Twitch contains the caffeine of two cans of Red Bull
The new Gatorade drink comes in a bottle of 12 ounces. Each bottle of Fast Twitch has 200 mg of caffeine. For comparison, an 8.4-ounce can of Red Bull Energy Drink contains 80 mg of caffeine, so in 12 ounces there are 114 mg of caffeine, almost half of the found in the energy drink Gatorade is about to introduce.
Although it has nearly twice as much as other energy drinks, Fast Twitch is non-carbonated, sugar-free, and has no artificial colors or flavors. It is sweetened with sucralose and contains five to 10 calories per bottle of 12 ounces.
Before the drink is available in stores retailers in the United States in early February 2023, around the time of the Super Bowl, NFL players will be drinking Fast Twitch throughout the upcoming season as part of a exclusive agreement with the league.
Fast Twitch flavors are Strawberry Watermelon, Glacier Freeze, Orange, Strawberry Lemonade, Cool Blue and Tropical Mango. The drink will be priced higher than Gatorade.
Caffeine as a stimulant
Harvard Nutrition Source notes that caffeine has been shown to benefit athletic performance for short-term, high-intensity exercise and endurance-based activities.
Caffeine increases the release of endorphins, improves neuromuscular function, vigilance, alertness, and reduces perceived exertion during exercise.
In a cup of coffee there is about 95mg of caffeine. Moderate caffeine consumption up to 400 mg per day is considered for healthy adults and non-pregnant women. Higher doses can have negative effects such as anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, and increased heart rate.
For high-performance athletes, the International Olympic Committee recommends consuming 3 to 6 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight. An overdose of caffeine through the use of supplements can be lethal.
Reviews have indicated that after a dose of about 1 g, toxic symptoms begin to manifest, a dose of 2 g requires hospitalization, while higher doses (5 g or more) could be fatal.
Serious symptoms of caffeine overdose include: shortness of breath, vomiting, hallucinations, confusion, chest pain, rapid or irregular heartbeat, uncontrollable muscle movements and convulsions.
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