Volume 70 | Recovery Revamped

📰 The Pulse

Hyperice Goes Global — Launches Hyperboot & Signs Virgil van Dijk
Hyperice has officially launched the Nike x Hyperboot across Europe and Canada, debuting at Nike’s House of Innovation in Paris and London. Liverpool FC captain Virgil van Dijk joins as the brand’s newest global ambassador. (More)

The Playbook Take — Hyperice’s global rollout alongside Nike and van Dijk signals that performance gear is no longer niche — it’s culture.

David Johnson Trades the NFL for HYROX
After eight seasons in the NFL, former Cardinals RB David Johnson is now competing in HYROX — the hybrid endurance race blending running, sled pushes, and functional fitness. (More)

The Playbook Take — The next generation of athletes is redefining what “retirement” looks like. HYROX is quickly becoming the competitive outlet for ex-pros and high-performers alike.

Gymshark Taps Dick’s Sporting Goods for First U.S. Wholesale Deal
Gymshark officially enters brick-and-mortar retail through a nationwide partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, bringing its apparel line to stores and online marketplaces. (More)

The Playbook Take — The DTC to retail wave continues. Gymshark’s move strengthens brand trust and community by meeting consumers where they actually shop.

Plunge Takes Part in Academic Study on Contrast Therapy
Plunge announced its participation in a peer-reviewed study exploring how alternating cold and hot contrast therapy impacts athletic recovery, inflammation, and mood. (More)

The Playbook Take — Recovery rituals are going clinical. Plunge backing research adds credibility to a booming category that’s been driven more by influencers than institutions — until now.

🧬 The Shop

Hyperice | Normatec Elite Hips
A fully self-contained hip and lower-back compression system — no hoses, no bulky control unit. Seven adjustable compression levels, four hours of battery, and full Bluetooth control via the Hyperice App. Targets hips, IT bands, and lower back for runners, lifters, and desk-bound athletes.

Beats | Powerbeats Fit
The next evolution of Beats sport earbuds — adaptive noise canceling, ergonomic earhooks, and IPX7 water resistance. Delivers 9 hours of playtime (36 with case) and drops in bold orange, pink, black, and gray. Built to move with you.

Reebok | Smart Ring
Tracks HRV, sleep, recovery, and readiness, syncing directly with the Reebok Fitness App to optimize training and rest. Features titanium housing, skin-temperature sensing, and 7-day battery life for sleek, wrist-free tracking.

Thorne | Creatine + BCAA (Peach Mango)
Combines 5 g Creapure® creatine with BCAAs, L-glutamine, and electrolytes for strength, recovery, and hydration — in a light, refreshing Peach Mango flavor. NSF Certified for Sport® and trusted by pro teams.

HumanN | Cardiovascular Health Daily Line
The nitric-oxide pioneers behind SuperBeets expand into heart health with three new daily formulas:

• Cholesterol Health Daily — Red yeast rice + plant sterols to maintain healthy levels.

• Cardiovascular Health Daily — Grape-seed extract, vitamin K2, and nitric-oxide precursors for circulation.

• Metabolic Health Daily — Berberine, cinnamon, and chromium for glucose control.
  Clinically formulated, non-GMO, and built for long-term performance.

Momentous | Creatine Chews (Lemon Lime)
The science-backed brand trusted by elite athletes introduces Creatine Chews — a portable, bite-sized take on performance nutrition. Each chew delivers 1g of creatine monohydrate in a crisp lemon-lime flavor, making daily creatine use convenient anywhere, anytime. NSF Certified and Informed Sport tested.

🧠 Smart AI Digestive & Hydration Tracker

What if your toilet could tell you how healthy you are?

Pondo is the world’s first smart digestive and hydration tracker that clips right onto your toilet — using AI to analyze what you flush and transform that data into a Gut and Hydration Score.

No blood tests. No manual logging. No wires. Just real insights from your body, fully automated.

Stop guessing why you feel bloated, tired, or dehydrated — let Pondo show you.
🚀 Back Pondo on Kickstarter today and be part of the future of wellness tracking.

🎙️ On The Podcast

This week on The Playbook Podcast, we sat down with Rob Gregg, founder and CEO of STAND+ — the recovery footwear brand redefining what it means to perform off the field.

After spending 16-hour days on concrete and feeling the toll on his knees and back, Rob set out to build a shoe that dissipates impact instead of storing it. What started as a personal fix turned into a movement — first for nurses and frontline workers, and now for pro athletes using STAND+ in locker rooms for recovery.

“Most performance shoes are built to help you jump higher or run faster. We built the slowest shoe in the world — to help you recover better.” Rob Gregg

Rob also shares how he’s using GPT technology to build “digital teammates” that manage everything from marketing to family planning, and why he believes real performance starts with recovery, rest, and hydration.

💰 The Boardroom

Shift Naturals Scores Funding from The Angel Group and Kevin Love
“Recovery starts the moment the game ends. That’s why I invested in Shift Naturals,” says NBA All-Star Kevin Love. The brand’s clean, full-spectrum hemp formulas deliver CBD + terpenes for natural recovery. (More)

The Playbook Take — Athlete-backed recovery brands are building the new wellness stack. Love’s investment validates recovery as culture, not just category.

Russell Westbrook Invests in Don’t Quit Protein Soda
NBA star Russell Westbrook joins the investor lineup for Don’t Quit, a protein-infused soda blending 10g of protein with zero added sugar. The partnership aims to expand the brand’s footprint in functional beverages while bridging performance and pop culture. (More)

The Playbook Take — Westbrook’s latest move underscores how athletes are rewriting the playbook for wellness drinks — merging flavor, function, and fitness credibility.

Coinbase CEO’s Longevity Startup Raises $45M
Coinbase co-founder Brian Armstrong’s company NewLimit raised $45 million from Eli Lilly and others to pursue epigenetic reprogramming that extends human lifespan. (More)

The Playbook Take — Longevity is the next frontier for tech founders. The intersection of AI and biology is where the future of performance is being built.

Overtime

🏢 Nike Renames Its World HQ — The Oregon campus now honors Phil Knight & Bill Bowerman with a refreshed identity. (More)

🥤 Equip Foods Rebrands — New look, simpler formulas, and “fuel for real life” messaging. (More)

🛒 Cymbiotika Launches Nationwide at Target — Now available in 1,900+ stores as it expands its bio-active supplement footprint. (More)

🫐 Caleb Williams Teams Up with The Fruitist — The USC standout and projected NFL #1 pick partners with billion-dollar blueberry brand The Fruitist, merging college-athlete star power with the functional food world. (More)