Created as "Glucozade" in the UK in 1927 by a Newcastle pharmacist, William Walker Hunter[1] (trading as W. Owen & Son),[a] it was acquired by the British pharmaceutical company Beecham's in 1938 and sold as Lucozade, an energy drink for the sick.

A glucose and water solution, the product was sold until 1983 as a carbonated, slightly orange-flavoured drink in a glass bottle wrapped in cellophane.

It was sold in a glass bottle with a yellow cellophane wrap until 1983, when it was re-branded as an energy drink to remove the brand's associations with illness.

[15] Following its rebranding as a sports drink, high-profile athletic figures in British pop culture have promoted Lucozade in television commercials, beginning with Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson in 1983, followed by sporting figures such as Olympic sprint champion Linford Christie, footballers John Barnes and Alan Shearer, rugby player Jonny Wilkinson, and Tomb Raider heroine Lara Croft.

The rigorous studies that did show improved endurance were "of limited relevance to most people because the tests were on elite athletes".

This was backed up by a research study done on professional cyclists, to see if ingesting Lucozade before an hour bike ride would impact performance.

[20] Thompson said that for the vast majority of people, drinking such products "could completely counteract exercising more, playing football more, going to the gym more".

[21] In May 2016, Liverpool City Council ran a "name-and-shame campaign" entitled "Is your child’s sweet tooth harming their health?".

[10] In its original high-sugar formulation, Lucozade was recommended by UK diabetes charities as an immediate treatment for hypoglycaemia in individuals who take insulin.

Nutritional information for 380 ml bottle: energy 1129 kjoules = 266 kCal; protein, fat and fibre nil; carbohydrates 65.4 g of which sugars 33.1 g of which 65.4 g glucose-based; and sodium trace.

However, in 2004, the Muslim Council of Britain ruled that they saw no harm in consuming Lucozade which contains traces of ethyl alcohol that do not bear its original qualities and do not change the taste, colour or smell.

GlaxoSmithKline pointed out that fruit juices and bread could also contain the same or higher trace amounts of alcohol due to natural fermentation.