Darren Burke Halifax: Why I Built Headstrong and What Athletes Get Wrong About Brain Performance
By Dr. Darren Burke, Co-Founder of Headstrong
There is a side of performance that rarely gets talked about.
From the outside, sport and leadership look physical. Training. Games. Travel. Work. Meetings. Deadlines. Decisions.
But the real fatigue rarely comes from the body.
It comes from the mind.
I’ve experienced this both as a scientist and as an entrepreneur building a company, and alongside my co-founder, a professional hockey player navigating the pressures of elite sport. Different environments. Same pressure.
Performance isn’t just physical capacity.
It’s mental bandwidth.
And mental bandwidth can run out long before physical energy does.
That realization is part of why we built Headstrong.
Why Headstrong Exists
I am based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and my career has spanned academic research, entrepreneurship, and working directly with athletes and high performers. Over time, one pattern became clear.
Athletes train their bodies meticulously.
Very few are taught how to support their brain.
We originally launched Headstrong with an all-in-one performance formula designed to support brain protection, recovery, and cognitive clarity. Scientifically, it made perfect sense. But the sports nutrition world is behavior-driven, not always science-driven.
So we made a difficult decision.
We separated our system into three focused tools:
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Headstrong – brain defense and protection
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Encharge – neural activation and focus
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Sleeptite – deep sleep and recovery
Strategically it was right.
Mentally it was heavy.
Entrepreneurship looks exciting from the outside. Inside, it’s a series of decisions you carry long after the meeting ends. The hardest part is not the work, it’s the responsibility. The mental load follows you home.
Part of building Headstrong is helping people protect their performance and wellbeing while carrying that weight.
You can learn more about our mission here:
https://getheadstrongnow.com
Lessons From Professional Sport and Mental Pressure
At the same time we were making those decisions, my co-founder was navigating a demanding stretch of professional hockey.
Training intensity. Games. Travel. Trade discussions. Business responsibilities.
The issue wasn’t physical fatigue.
It was clarity.
Through structured daily planning, mindfulness practices, and improving sleep routines, his performance changed. Not physically first. Mentally first.
Many athletes discover this too late: the brain is the central performance system.
If it is overloaded, performance drops even when the body is strong.
This is true in sport, business, school, and everyday life.
Brain Under Pressure: Can Active Recovery Help the Brain Recover Faster?
For years, concussion recovery advice was simple: rest and avoid activity.
New research is showing something different.
Studies following athletes recovering from concussion have found that carefully controlled aerobic exercise, such as light treadmill training below symptom threshold, can help recovery happen faster than strict inactivity.
Why?
After a concussion, the brain experiences an energy regulation problem. Blood flow and metabolic balance are disrupted. Gentle aerobic activity appears to restore regulation, improve cerebral blood flow, and support neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to repair and reorganize.
In simple terms:
The brain doesn’t just need protection after injury.
It needs guided reactivation.
This does not mean returning to full sport immediately. It means structured, supervised activity can support recovery rather than delay it.
What This Means for Athletes and High Performers
Brain performance is affected by daily behaviors more than most people realize. The brain responds positively to:
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consistent sleep
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stress regulation
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controlled physical movement
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gradual return to activity after injury
Your brain performs best when it is supported, not just rested.
Team Headstrong
One of the most meaningful parts of this work has been the growth of our athlete community.
Team Headstrong is not a sponsorship roster. It is a group of athletes who believe protecting brain health and supporting mental wellbeing should be part of performance culture.
You can meet our athletes here:
https://getheadstrongnow.com/pages/headstrong-athletes
A Simple Mental Performance Tool
When mental load builds, your nervous system remains in a constant stress state. This reduces reaction time, clarity, and decision quality.
Try this:
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Sit upright with feet on the floor
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Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
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Hold for 2 seconds
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Exhale slowly for 6 seconds
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Repeat 6 times
This activates the parasympathetic nervous system and restores cognitive control.
Athletes use it before competition. Leaders use it before difficult decisions.
Final Thought
Pressure exists in sport, in business, and in everyday life.
Your brain is the system that handles it.
Headstrong was created to help people perform at their best while protecting their brain and mental wellbeing.
Dr. Darren Burke is a Halifax-based scientist-entrepreneur and co-founder of Headstrong. Learn more at https://drdarrenburke.com