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PepsiCo-owned drinks brand Gatorade has announced the opening of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) research and development lab in Valhalla, New York. The new laboratory is designed to provide opportunity for innovation and discovery, to support product development across all ‘Gatorade Portfolio’ brands, including Gatorade, Fast Twitch, Propel, Muscle Milk and Evolve. The new “cutting-edge” facility incorporates an environmental chamber for testing athletes' responses to hot conditions as well as metabolism, body composition, muscle performance and biochemistry. This furthers GSSI's mission to “optimise the health and performance of athletes through R&D, innovation, education and sports science service”. Lindsay Baker, R&D director at GSSI, said: "We are committed to athlete research to ensure we are always innovating to meet their ever-changing needs. The first step in product creation has and will always be athlete insights, and the critical work the team is doing across our GSSI labs helps bring those insights to the forefront of our innovation pipeline. This new lab will study the effects of exercise, hydration and nutrition on the human body and mind to help us provide personalised solutions for each athlete." The facility is located on the campus of PepsiCo's Global Beverage R&D Center of Excellence, where its R&D team work to discover new ingredients, formulas and technologies to drive product innovations across PepsiCo's suite of beverages including the ‘Gatorade Portfolio’, carbonated soft drinks, teas, RTD Starbucks, energy drinks and waters. Gatorade’s first expansion into tablets – Gatorade Zero and Propel Immune Support tablets – was developed at the centre in Valhalla and is launching into retailers this month. Marissa Pines, senior marketing director at Gatorade, added: "With solutions in ready-to-drink, powder, supplement and now tablet form, we're advancing our business forward by reaching more athletes and exercisers on more occasions. That's the power of the Gatorade Portfolio. We've strategically built our business to have a solution for everyone, no matter how they choose to hydrate."