Athlete Brain Health in Contact Sports: Dr. Darren Burke and Evan Nause Launch Headstrong, a Brain-First Sports Nutrition Brand
A new sports nutrition company focused on brain health, cognitive performance, and recovery for athletes competing in contact sports.
LOS ANGELES, CA – Professional hockey player Evan Nause and scientist-turned-entrepreneur Dr. Darren Burke have joined forces to build Headstrong, a new sports nutrition brand designed to protect and optimize the brain health of athletes competing in high-impact sports.
The idea behind Headstrong is simple but long overdue.
For decades, sports nutrition has focused almost exclusively on the body: muscle growth, strength, hydration, and endurance. Yet for athletes competing in contact sports such as hockey, football, rugby, and combat sports, the brain may be the most important organ to protect.
Headstrong was created to address that gap.
“We realized there were countless products for muscle and physical performance, but none built specifically for the brain,” said Dr. Darren Burke, Headstrong co-founder and a scientist who has spent his career translating research into real-world products. “Athletes in contact sports place enormous demands on their brain. Nutrition should be part of how we support that.”
Burke’s motivation is both scientific and personal.
After years in academia and entrepreneurship, Burke experienced firsthand the mental toll of high-performance environments. Building companies, raising capital, mentoring founders, and navigating uncertainty all require sustained cognitive performance and resilience.
“As an entrepreneur and mentor working with other founders, I’ve seen how much the brain carries the load,” Burke said. “I wanted products that supported cognitive energy, recovery, and long-term brain health. When Evan and I started talking about the realities of contact sport, it became clear athletes needed the same support.”
For Evan Nause, the mission is rooted in his experience playing professional hockey.
Like many athletes in contact sports, Nause has navigated the physical and mental challenges that come with the game: hard hits, injuries, concussions, roster battles, contract negotiations, and the constant pressure to perform.
“Playing pro hockey is incredible, but it’s demanding in ways people don’t always see,” Nause said. “You’re fighting for roster spots, negotiating contracts, dealing with injuries, and pushing your body and brain every day. Brain health isn’t something athletes think about enough until later in their career.”
That shared understanding became the foundation for Headstrong.
Together, Burke and Nause set out to build a brain-first sports nutrition brand grounded in science, athlete experience, and product integrity.
Each Headstrong formulation is built around multiple ingredients at evidence-based dosages, designed to support cognitive performance, mental resilience, and recovery. Unlike many products in the supplement industry that rely on proprietary blends or under-dosed ingredients, Headstrong emphasizes transparent, research-informed formulations.
Equally important is product safety and trust.
Headstrong products are being tested through NSF Certified for Sport®, the gold standard for supplement testing used by professional and Olympic athletes to ensure products are free from banned substances and meet strict quality standards.
“We wanted to build something athletes can trust,” Burke said. “That means evidence-based formulations and third-party testing. When you’re putting something in your body every day, transparency matters.”
Headstrong is currently preparing for its official launch this spring with three innovative products designed specifically for athletes:
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Headstrong – The Athlete’s Creatine
A next-generation creatine formulation designed to support both physical performance and brain energy. -
Encharge – The Athlete’s Nootropic
A cognitive performance formula developed to support focus, mental clarity, and resilience under pressure. -
Sleeptite – The Athlete’s Sleep Formula
A recovery-focused sleep formulation designed to support deep, restorative sleep, a critical component of both physical and neurological recovery.
Alongside product development, the company has been building Team Headstrong, a rapidly expanding network of athletes across multiple sports who share the mission of raising awareness around brain health, mental performance, and longevity in sport.
Many athletes who first tried the products quickly asked to become involved.
“We started by testing these with teammates and other high performers,” Nause said. “Athletes, executives, and even busy parents loved them. That’s when we realized this was bigger than just a supplement company. It was about building a community around brain health.”
Team Headstrong now includes a growing roster of athletes who are helping bring attention to the mental demands of elite performance and the importance of protecting the brain across a lifetime of sport.
For Burke and Nause, the long-term vision extends beyond products.
“We want Headstrong to help change how athletes think about performance,” Burke said. “Strength, endurance, and speed will always matter. But protecting your brain, supporting your mental health, and building longevity into your career matters just as much.”
As awareness around sports concussion and long-term brain health continues to grow, the founders believe athletes are ready for a new approach.
One where performance starts with the brain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Headstrong?
Headstrong is a brain-first sports nutrition brand founded by Dr. Darren Burke and professional hockey player Evan Nause. The company was created to support athletes in contact sports with evidence-based nutrition designed to help protect the brain, support cognitive performance, and aid recovery.
Why did Darren Burke and Evan Nause start Headstrong?
Darren Burke and Evan Nause started Headstrong because traditional sports nutrition has focused heavily on muscles, strength, and physical performance, while largely overlooking the brain. Their goal is to help athletes in contact sports think more proactively about brain health, mental performance, recovery, and longevity.
Is Headstrong focused on athletes in contact sports?
Yes. Headstrong was built with contact sport athletes in mind, including those competing in hockey, football, rugby, lacrosse, and other high-impact sports where brain health and recovery matter.
Does Headstrong make concussion claims?
No. Headstrong does not make supplement claims about preventing, treating, or curing concussions. The brand is focused more broadly on brain health, cognitive performance, recovery, and helping athletes support their overall wellness in demanding competitive environments.
What makes Headstrong different from other sports nutrition brands?
Headstrong is different because it is built as a brain-first sports nutrition brand. Its products are formulated with multiple evidence-based ingredients in meaningful dosages, with a focus on cognitive performance, mental fatigue, sleep, recovery, and athlete trust.
Are Headstrong products tested for sport?
Yes. Headstrong products are being tested with NSF Certified for Sport®, one of the most trusted third-party testing standards used by athletes who want confidence in supplement quality and banned substance screening.
What products is Headstrong launching with?
Headstrong is launching with three novel products: Headstrong, The Athlete’s Creatine; Encharge, The Athlete’s Nootropic; and Sleeptite, The Athlete’s Sleep Formula.
Who is Dr. Darren Burke?
Dr. Darren Burke is a scientist, entrepreneur, and mentor known for building companies at the intersection of science, performance, and commercial innovation. As co-founder of Headstrong, he is helping build products intended to support athletes facing intense mental and physical demands.
Who is Evan Nause?
Evan Nause is a professional hockey player and co-founder of Headstrong. His lived experience in contact sport, including the pressures of competition, roster battles, injuries, and the mental toll of elite performance, helped shape the mission behind the company.
What is Team Headstrong?
Team Headstrong is a growing athlete community connected to the Headstrong mission. It brings together athletes across sports who want to raise awareness around brain health, mental health, recovery, and longevity in performance.
About Headstrong
Headstrong was founded by Dr. Darren Burke, a Halifax-born scientist and entrepreneur, and Evan Nause, a professional hockey player, to bring greater awareness to athlete brain health in contact sports. As conversations around sports concussion, mental health, and long-term neurological health in athletes continue to grow, Headstrong aims to support athletes through science-driven nutrition, education, and a growing global community of high performers committed to protecting their brain while pursuing elite performance.
Keywords: athlete brain health, sports nutrition, contact sports, Darren Burke, Evan Nause, Headstrong, cognitive performance, athlete recovery