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Fortune
Fortune
Phil Wahba

Inside PepsiCo’s beverage overhaul: A Gatorade reboot, the $2 billion Poppi buy, and a gut-health play, all under activist scrutiny

PepsiCo Gatorade Pepsi Elliott NY Elliott Management CocaCola Fortune
A Buffalo Bills player holds Gatorade cups on the sidelines during an NFL preseason football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on August 23, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Credit: Kevin Sabitus—Getty Images)

As a trained engineer, Ram Krishnan loves to nerd out on the science of Gatorade.

The CEO of PepsiCo’s U.S. beverages division wants to know things like, “What is the optimal balance between sodium and potassium given the different ‘sweating’ profiles of Gatorade users?” He’ll ask his staff, “How much protein can be added to help with muscle building?”

“We take pride in the science,” says Krishnan as he gives Fortune a tour of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute in Valhalla, N.Y., 30 miles north of New York City. At that research facility, athletes are evaluated using treadmills, glucose monitors, and other technology for how much their sodium levels vary and how quickly the electrolytes and sodium in Gatorade work to replenish them.

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