AdvoCare
An American nutrition and wellness brand known for dietary supplements, energy drinks, hydration products, and a former multilevel direct-selling model.
Last updated October 17, 2026
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Overview
AdvoCare is an American nutrition and wellness brand founded in 1993 by Charles E. Ragus. Based in Richardson, Texas, the company has developed and distributed dietary supplements, energy products, hydration formulas, sports-performance products, gut-health products, immune-support products, and weight-management offerings. Products associated with the brand have included Spark energy drinks, Rehydrate electrolyte products, Trim, Active, Well, Performance Elite, Fit, and the 24 Day Challenge program. For most of its history, AdvoCare operated through a multilevel marketing model. Independent distributors sold products and could build sales organizations, making recruitment, distributor training, conferences, endorsements, and income-opportunity claims central parts of the brand’s commercial identity. The company also used professional-athlete endorsements and sports sponsorships to associate its products with performance, energy, and healthy lifestyles. Its sponsorship portfolio included the Independence Bowl, FC Dallas, sports facilities, college football events, NASCAR teams and races, and professional athletes such as Drew Brees, Andy Dalton, Philip Rivers, Alex Smith, Sam Bradford, Wes Welker, Carli Lloyd, Doug Fister, and Rich Froning. The distribution model became increasingly controversial. Reporting and legal proceedings questioned whether revenue was driven primarily by retail product demand or by recruiting distributors and encouraging them to purchase inventory or pursue the business opportunity. In 2009, a Texas jury awarded damages to former distributors Bruce and Teresa Badgett in a deceptive-trade-practices dispute concerning the cancellation of their distributorship; the company challenged the decision, and the appeal was dismissed in 2012. In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission charged AdvoCare and related parties with operating an illegal pyramid scheme and making misleading income representations. In 2019, AdvoCare agreed to a settlement without admitting or denying the allegations, paid $150 million for consumer compensation and inventory buybacks, and accepted a prohibition on multilevel marketing and related income representations. The company had already moved away from its multilevel structure and subsequently operated through a consumer-focused, single-level or omnichannel distribution approach. AdvoCare has also faced product and marketing criticism. A youth-oriented KickStart Spark product was discontinued after concerns about its caffeine content, while the company drew criticism for marketing and sponsorship activity connected with youth sports. In a separate 2008 controversy, Olympic swimmer Jessica Hardy attributed a positive clenbuterol test to a potentially contaminated AdvoCare supplement. An arbitration process reduced her suspension after expert testimony supported possible contamination, although AdvoCare disputed that conclusion and cited negative tests from two laboratories. Public reporting indicates that AdvoCare remained active after the 2019 restructuring, with its portfolio focused on consumer wellness products rather than distributor recruitment. Christina Helwig became the company’s first female chief executive in 2024. The company has also continued philanthropic activity through the AdvoCare Foundation. Detailed public information about current ownership, revenue, market share, and the complete present-day product portfolio is limited.
History
Charles E. Ragus founded AdvoCare in 1993 as a multilevel marketing company distributing dietary supplements. The company name was derived from the phrase “Advocates Who Care.” Ragus had prior experience in insurance and direct selling, including work associated with Herbalife and the founding of Omnitrition International. He died in 2001. AdvoCare expanded its range into energy drinks, hydration products, sports nutrition, weight-management products, and broader wellness categories. Its independent-distributor structure allowed participants to sell products while developing sales organizations. This model shaped the company’s conferences, training culture, promotional claims, and use of athletic endorsements. AdvoCare sponsored sporting properties and events including the Independence Bowl, FC Dallas, the Texas Bowl, NASCAR teams and races, and a sports-performance facility at The Greenbrier. It also promoted products through prominent athletes and sports personalities. The model attracted criticism before the federal enforcement action. A 2009 Texas jury found against AdvoCare in a dispute brought by former distributors whose agreements had been cancelled. In 2016, ESPN reporting examined the company’s recruitment practices, distributor earnings claims, use of endorsements, and internal culture. The company also faced scrutiny over a youth-targeted caffeinated beverage and over allegations that a supplement supplied to swimmer Jessica Hardy was contaminated with clenbuterol. AdvoCare disputed the contamination conclusion and cited contrary laboratory results. In 2018, the FTC charged AdvoCare and associated individuals with operating a pyramid scheme and making deceptive income claims. The agency alleged that distributors were encouraged to recruit others and spend substantial sums pursuing the business opportunity, while most participants made little or no money or lost money. In 2019, AdvoCare and former CEO Patrick Wright settled without admitting or denying the allegations. The agreement required $150 million in payments, including compensation and inventory buybacks, and barred the company from multilevel marketing and related income representations. The company had voluntarily begun transitioning to a single-level, consumer-oriented sales model before the settlement. After the restructuring, AdvoCare continued presenting itself as a wellness-products business with energy, hydration, gut-health, immune-support, and sports-performance offerings. The company’s later history includes the appointment of Christina Helwig as its first female CEO in 2024 and continuing work by the AdvoCare Foundation. Public sources provide limited detail about current ownership, revenue, geographic scale, and the complete product range.
- 2024
Christina Helwig becomes CEO
[1]Christina Helwig is appointed AdvoCare’s first female chief executive.
- 2020
FC Dallas sponsorship shifts to sleeve placement
[1]AdvoCare changes its FC Dallas sponsorship from a principal jersey position to a sleeve sponsorship.
- 2019
Business model changes and FTC settlement
[2]AdvoCare moves away from multilevel marketing and agrees to a $150 million FTC settlement, including compensation and inventory buybacks.
- 2018
FTC pyramid-scheme charges
[1]The Federal Trade Commission charges AdvoCare and related parties over alleged pyramid-scheme conduct and deceptive income representations.
- 2012
FC Dallas sponsorship begins
[1]AdvoCare becomes a jersey sponsor of Major League Soccer club FC Dallas.
- 2007
Richard H. Wright becomes president and CEO
[1]Richard H. Wright takes leadership of AdvoCare.
- 2001
Founder Charles E. Ragus dies
[1]Ragus dies at age 58 after founding and developing the AdvoCare business.
- 1993
AdvoCare is founded
[1]Charles E. Ragus establishes AdvoCare as a multilevel distributor of dietary supplements in the United States.
Products and positioning
A consumer wellness and sports-nutrition brand focused on everyday energy, hydration, supplementation, fitness, and healthy-lifestyle products.
Energy drink
Spark
Spark is AdvoCare’s best-known energy-drink line, positioned for everyday alertness and energy supplementation. It was historically promoted through the company’s distributor network and sports-oriented marketing. A youth-oriented KickStart Spark formulation was later discontinued following concerns about its caffeine content.
Electrolyte and hydration product
Rehydrate
Rehydrate is an AdvoCare hydration offering intended to support fluid and electrolyte replenishment during or after physical activity and everyday exertion. Public sources identify it as part of the company’s hydration portfolio but do not establish its complete formulation or current distribution status.
Weight-management product
Trim
Trim is a product line associated with AdvoCare’s weight-management category. It formed part of the broader portfolio marketed around nutrition, fitness, and body-composition goals. Detailed current product specifications are not established by the available reference material.
Wellness supplement
Active
Active is an AdvoCare product family associated with general wellness and daily nutrition. It was included among the company’s named product brands, although public sources provide limited information about its individual products and current retail status.
Wellness supplement
Well
Well is a named AdvoCare wellness line covering products intended for general health and nutritional support. The available sources do not document a complete product catalogue, formulation history, or current availability.
Sports-performance nutrition
Performance Elite
Performance Elite is associated with AdvoCare’s sports-performance portfolio. The line was designed for consumers seeking exercise and athletic-nutrition support and was consistent with the brand’s extensive sports sponsorship activity. Specific current products are not confirmed.
Fitness and nutrition product
Fit
Fit is an AdvoCare product family connected with fitness, nutrition, and active-lifestyle positioning. Available references name the line but do not provide enough detail to verify its full range or current sales status.
Weight-management program
24 Day Challenge
The 24 Day Challenge is an AdvoCare branded nutrition and weight-management program combining product use with structured dietary and lifestyle guidance. It was an important example of the company’s program-based approach to selling wellness products, though its current form and availability are unclear.
Controversies
2019
AdvoCare settles FTC pyramid-scheme charges
AdvoCare was ordered to pay $150 million to resolve charges that it operated an illegal pyramid scheme that deceived customers about their potential income. The settlement also permanently banned the company from multi-level marketing.
2018
FTC pyramid-scheme allegations
The FTC charged AdvoCare and related parties with operating an illegal pyramid scheme and using misleading representations about the business opportunity.
2016
Criticism of distributor recruitment and income claims
ESPN reporting examined AdvoCare’s distributor economics, recruitment practices, celebrity endorsements, and claims about financial success, contributing to public scrutiny before the FTC action.
2008
Jessica Hardy supplement-contamination dispute
Swimmer Jessica Hardy attributed a positive clenbuterol test to a potentially contaminated AdvoCare Arginine Extreme supplement. An arbitration panel reduced her suspension after expert testimony supported possible contamination. AdvoCare disputed the finding and cited negative results from two laboratories.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014Sports Performance Center naming rights
United States
AdvoCare purchased naming rights for a professional sports practice facility at The Greenbrier in West Virginia.
Outcome. The facility was named the AdvoCare Sports Performance Center and hosted the New Orleans Saints’ 2014 training camp.
- 2012FC Dallas sponsorship
United States
AdvoCare partnered with FC Dallas and became the club’s jersey sponsor.
Outcome. The relationship later continued in a sleeve-sponsorship format from 2020.
- 2011NASCAR sponsorship program
United States
AdvoCare sponsored NASCAR teams, drivers, and selected races, including associations with Trevor Bayne and Roush Fenway Racing.
Outcome. The company’s documented NASCAR sponsorship activity ran through 2016.
- 2009Independence Bowl title sponsorship
United States
AdvoCare began a title sponsorship of the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, Louisiana, continuing through 2013.
Outcome. The 2013 event was branded the AdvoCare V100 Bowl.
Brand decisions
2020
Change FC Dallas sponsorship placementStrategyBackground
AdvoCare continued its relationship with FC Dallas after its broader business-model transition.
Action taken
The company changed from jersey sponsorship to sleeve sponsorship.
Aftermath
AdvoCare remained visible as a team sponsor in a reduced placement.
2019
End multilevel marketing and adopt consumer-focused distributionStrategyBackground
AdvoCare faced regulatory scrutiny over alleged recruitment-driven economics and income representations.
Action taken
The company voluntarily moved away from the multilevel aspect of its business and agreed to a prohibition on multilevel marketing as part of its FTC settlement.
Aftermath
AdvoCare’s model shifted toward single-level sales and consumer-oriented distribution.
FTC settlement and related compensation and inventory buybacks. $150 million (2019)
2019
Sell Plano officeOtherBackground
AdvoCare restructured its operations during the transition away from its former distribution model.
Action taken
The company sold its Plano office to Opex Corporation.
Aftermath
The transaction formed part of the company’s documented 2019 operational changes.
Recent events
- 2025
AdvoCare appoints Brad Pace to regulatory and compliance leadership[1]
Leadership change · Regulation
Brad Pace was appointed vice president of regulatory and compliance.
- 2024
AdvoCare appoints Christina Helwig as first female CEO[1]
Leadership change
Christina Helwig became AdvoCare’s first female chief executive, according to the company’s documented corporate history.
- 2009
AdvoCare settles deceptive-trade-practices dispute with former distributors[1]
Lawsuit
A Dallas County jury awarded $1.9 million to Bruce and Teresa Badgett after finding that AdvoCare had engaged in deceptive practices and improperly cancelled their distributorship. The company disputed the decision; an appeal was dismissed in 2012.
Sources4 sources
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