Never had it either. Prime and gatorade were not availabe here in grocery stores, even before sanctions. Even rootbeer. I saw it recently for a brief period of time in one chain.
I don't know about gatorade, but I had a different sports drink after a good workout, it is heaven. All while on its own that drink was ok, nothing spectacular.
Gatorade is just bad. Maybe it could be the flavour or what not, I just don't get why they hype it so much. My guy-friends who apparently do sports, of course.
Probably it tastes different after a workout. Since you sweat a lot, you lose salt and other microelements. Sports drink have this weird flavor because of electrolytes, they have salt in it apart from sugar. And when you sweat a lot and lost a lot of salt through that, you crave salt. But that's just a random guess.
Your hypothesis is quite insightful. After intense physical activity, the body's loss of electrolytes, particularly sodium, can influence taste perception and cravings. This electrolyte imbalance may lead to a heightened desire for salty flavors as the body seeks to restore its sodium levels.