Earlier this year, Steve joined us to tell the story of how creatine first entered the world of elite sport ahead of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. In this follow-up conversation, Richard and Steve look at where creatine goes next.

For decades, creatine has been viewed primarily as a strength, power and high-intensity performance supplement. But Steve believes the next phase of creatine will move far beyond the gym, the track and the changing room.

In this episode, Steve discusses the emerging research around creatine, cognition, fatigue, brain function, sleep deprivation, concussion, ageing, women’s health, shift work and everyday human performance. He also explains why education is now critical, particularly for youth athletes, parents, schools and practitioners who need to understand creatine in the right context.

The conversation also explores the future of creatine as an ingredient technology, with Steve outlining how new forms of creatine could be used in functional foods, gummies, drinks and other products designed for wider health and performance benefits.

This is a conversation about sport, science, innovation and the changing role of creatine in human performance.

In this episode you will learn

• How creatine moved from elite sport into mainstream performance nutrition
• Why Steve believes the biggest future breakthroughs may come outside traditional sports performance
• The potential role of creatine in cognition, fatigue, brain function and sleep deprivation
• Why education is so important when discussing creatine with youth athletes and parents
• How practitioners can better frame creatine use in the right context
• Why Steve believes three grams per day can be enough for many users
• How creatine needs may change across the lifespan
• Why creatine is becoming a major topic in women’s health, ageing and longevity
• The challenges of creating liquid-stable and food-based creatine products
• How ingredient technology could shape the next generation of creatine products

About Steve Jennings

Steve Jennings is one of the most influential figures in the history of sports nutrition.

A former professional racing cyclist, Steve founded Maxim Sports Nutrition in the early 1990s and played a key role in introducing creatine supplementation to elite sport ahead of the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games.

Over the last three decades, Steve has built, launched and developed nutrition brands across performance sport, active lifestyle and human health. Today, through Jenerise, he is focused on the next chapter of creatine: helping expand its role beyond traditional strength and power performance into cognition, vitality, healthspan and everyday human performance.

Steve brings a rare combination of lived sporting experience, commercial innovation and deep understanding of how science can be translated into practical, real-world use.

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This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Allen Sills, Chief Medical Officer of the NFL, to the Science for Sport Podcast. In a game renowned for its intensity, how does the league ensure player safety on and off the field? Dr. Sills pulls back the curtain on cutting-edge concussion protocols, game-changing safety innovations, and the evolution of health measures that protect athletes at every level.

From independent spotters stopping the game to the millions invested in research and equipment, discover the science and strategy reshaping one of the world’s most physically demanding sports. Dr. Sills also shares exclusive insights on the future of player safety, collaboration with global sports leagues, and how the NFL is setting new standards for health in elite sports.

Whether you’re an NFL fan, a sports scientist, or someone fascinated by the intersection of medicine and performance, this episode is packed with revelations you can’t miss.

Tune in now and join the conversation about the evolving science of saving lives in sport.

About Dr Allen Sills
Dr. Allen Sills is the NFL's Chief Medical Officer, appointed in March 2017 as the league's first CMO. A neurosurgeon specializing in athlete care, he is also a Professor of Neurological Surgery and Co-Director of the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center. Dr. Sills collaborates with team medical staffs, the NFL Players Association, and medical experts to enhance player health and safety through rule changes, equipment evolution, and injury reduction plans. He led the NFL's COVID-19 response and spearheaded the league's Injury Reduction Plan, achieving a 24% decrease in reported concussions in 2018. An active researcher with over 170 scientific publications, Dr. Sills is a member of the Concussion in Sport Group, setting international concussion standards.

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Specifically you will learn:

• The important of measuring impacts in Rugby
• Why mouthguards are the perfect tool to measure impacts
• How to use data to reduce injury risk and optimise collision training load

About Chris and Eoin

Chris Turner – CEO of Sports Wellbeing & Analytics (SWA)

Co-Founder and CEO of SWA since 2017 – previously Global CTO with Unilever 10 years, Executive Vice President SAP for 5 years. Role is to oversee and manage all aspects of SWA’s business and operations. The business is fundamentally a real time data business with a data collection tool currently in the form of a highly validated electronic mouthguard. You can think of us as a GPS for contact. The data which is reported live allows us to provide real insight to clubs and athletes as to what is going on. This understanding and combination of data is our strength as a business and as we work with different sports, the uses for and the value of the data just keeps growing. Clearly in rugby, we want to see all clubs follow the lead and belief that Gloucester has shown and adopt the system for the benefit of themselves and their players. But we also want to see this across all contact sports over time.

Eoin Power – Head of Medical Services – Gloucester Rugby

Fourth season as Head of medical services at Gloucester Rugby. Previously at Bristol Bears as senior physio. Originally from Dublin where I studied my primary degree in Physiology before moving to the UK to pursue Physiotherapy, first at the University of Southampton and then the University of bath. I am responsible for managing the provision of medical services to the Gloucester rugby squad and facilitate a team of 8 therapists and Doctors.

Instagram: @swaprotechtpro
Twitter: @ProtechtPro @EoinPowerPhysio

Protecht Website: https://swa.one/

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​ Improve Your Athletes' Performance
​ Advance Forward In Your Career, Allowing You To Earn More Money And Work With Elite-Level Athletes
​ Save Yourself The Stress & Worry Of Constantly Trying To Stay Up-To-Date With Sports Science Research

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Specifically Matt will be looking at:

• The importance of diet in concussion patients
• Key nutritional recommendations
• Physiology underpinning these
• How to apply this practically

About Matt

"Matthew R. Frakes, PhD, RD, CSCS is a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified strength and conditioning specialist. Mr. Frakes is a former Division I collegiate student-athlete who completed his undergraduate and Master's degree at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, and his Doctorate degree at the University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS. He has a wide range of experiences in sports nutrition, strength and conditioning, private practice, and healthcare settings. His passion includes enhancing athletic performance through both evidence-based research and practice-based evidence. Building upon a sports nutrition and clinical nutrition background, his research interest focuses on the impact of nutrition and dietary intake on the recovery rate of sports-related concussions. Currently, Mr. Frakes works as a Sports Nutritionist at the University of Louisville."

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