Gatorade Ditches Colorful Drinks for Classic Product

Gatorade is releasing a new type of thirst-quenching beverage, except it's not really revolutionary at all–it's essentially water.

Gatorade Water is a new electrolyte-infused water that undergoes "a 7-step filtration process," according to an official statement shared with CNN Business.

Unlike the PepsiCo-owned brand's sports drinks, it won't contain any added dyes or flavors but will feature 65 to 90 milligrams of sodium (in the 700-milliliter or 1-liter bottles, respectively), making the bottled beverage a little more enhanced compared to tap water and a direct competitor to Coca-Cola's Smartwater brand and the Nestlé-acquired Essentia.

Michael Del Pozzo, president of Gatorade, told the outlet that the new drink comes as a means to fill the gap between enhanced water products and consumers. Per research done by the company, "about 30 million consumers today are not reaching for enhanced water at all," and in most cases, it has nothing to do with the product itself but "because it’s not a brand that they know and trust."

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In fact, Del Pozzo also explained that the research found athletes are "seeking premium unflavored water” that contains additives perceived to have other health benefits–like promoting better gut health, clearer skin, and other celebrity-made claims–to drink throughout the day.

Ultimately, he believes the Gatorade brand, which has been around for just shy of six decades, has the power and "credibility" to meet consumers' needs and even influence buying habits with the new product set to hit shelves sometime early next year.

Malina Malkani, a registered dietician, nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told CNN that "there’s really not a lot of evidence either supporting of the health claims that are made about alkaline water or refuting the claims."

“It’s one of those fads that people are making all kinds of claims about, you know, ‘It’s a miracle cure, and it’s a curative for so many different things, and it can boost your metabolism and prevent cancer,’ and there’s just a lot we don’t know,” she said.

Next: So Long, Added Sugar! Sip on These 16 Healthy Sodas and Soda Alternatives Instead