Is Gatorade Gluten-Free?

Celiac.com 01/06/2021 - One question we get often is about celiac disease and sports drinks, especially Gatorade. Specifically, is Gatorade gluten-free and safe for people with celiac disease?

First, it's important to distinguish which Gatorade we're actually talking about. Once upon a time the answer would have been a simple 'yes.' But these days, Gatorade makes numerous products. This article is mainly focused on Gatorade the sports hydration drink, but we will also mention their energy, protein and other special products.

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Gatorade sports hydration drinks, like most sports hydration drinks, are made with water, sugar, salt and flavorings, along with some coloring and preservatives. The ingredients themselves are gluten-free, and so most of these drinks are likely safe for people with celiac disease.

Now, Gatorade products are not specifically labeled gluten-free, so that means they are not tested, and not officially recommended for people with celiac disease. So, it's not officially gluten-free. However, we have been tracking Gatorade products for many years, and have fielded no complaints about any Gatorade product that is made with non-gluten ingredients. We regard Gatorade products as gluten-safe, even for people with celiac disease. As always, read labels and allergen warnings to be sure.

Gluten-Safe Gatorade Products include all Gatorade Hydration, Gatorade Energy, and Gatorade GX products, along with Gatorade Protein products, EXCEPT Gatorade Recover Whey Protein Bars, and Gatorade Recover Whey Protein Powder, which both contain WHEAT.

The complete list of gluten-free Gatorade products includes:

Gluten-Safe Gatorade Hydration Products Include:

Gatorade Thirst Quencher

• Citrus Cooler
• Cool Blue
• Fierce Blue Cherry
• Fierce Fruit Punch+Berry
• Fierce Grape
• Fierce Strawberry
• Frost Arctic Blitz
• Frost Glacier Cherry
• Frost Glacier Freeze
• Frost Icy Charge
• Frost Tropical Mango
• Fruit Punch
• Lemon-Lime
• Lime Cucumber
• Orange
• Strawberry
• Strawberry Raspberry
• Strawberry Watermelon
• Tropical Cooler

G Zero

• Berry
• Glacier Cherry
• Glacier Freeze
• Grape
• Lemon-Lime
• Orange

G2

• Cool Blue
• Fruit Punch
• Glacier Freeze
• Grape
• Lemon-Lime
• Mixed Berry
• Orange
• Raspberry Lemonade

Organic Thirst Quencher

• Mixed Berry
• Passionfruit
• Strawberry

Gatorade Juiced

• Apple Raspberry
• Citrus Berry Punch
• Mixed Berry

Gluten-Safe Gatorade Energy Products Include:

• Gatorade Endurance Hydration Formula
• Gatorade Gatorlytes
• Endurance Carb Energy Chews
• Energy Gel
• Energy Gel with Caffeine
• BOLT24 Antioxidant
• BOLT24 Energize

Gluten-Safe Gatorade Protein Products Include (ALL FLAVORS CONTAIN MILK INGREDIENTS):

• Gatorade Super Shake
• Gatorade Recover Protein Shake

Gluten-Safe Gatorade GX Products Include:

• A new hydration system – Pods filled with concentrated Gatorade formulas ready to mix with water. Gatorade calls GX a "customizable hydration system." Essentially, they are specialized dispensers with premixed Gatorade in various flavors.

Non-Gluten-Free Gatorade Products Include:

• Gatorade Recover Whey Protein Bar [NOT GLUTEN-FREE]
• Gatorade Recover Whey Protein with Almond Butter Bar [NOT GLUTEN-FREE]
• Gatorade Recover Whey Protein Powder [NOT GLUTEN-FREE]

ALL FLAVORS OF GATORADE RECOVER WHEY PROTEIN BAR CONTAIN MILK AND SOY INGREDIENTS. MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUT, TREE NUTS, AND WHEAT!

For more information, including products and ingredients, check the official Gatorade website at Gatorade.com.

Article Updated 10/11/2022:

From Gatorade's site:

https://endurance.gatorade.com/images/virtual/pdf/faqs.pdf

Quote

Are Gatorade Endurance products gluten-free?

While PepsiCo does not currently make gluten-free label claims for our beverages, none of the ingredients in Gatorade Endurance products are derived from grains or flours that have been linked to gluten sensitivity.