Volume 79 | Fundamentals

📰 The Pulse

Mack Hollins Is Betting on Barefoot Performance

NFL wide receiver, Super Bowl champion, and long-time barefoot advocate Mack Hollins has partnered with Vivobarefoot, bringing renewed attention to one of the most debated ideas in performance: less shoe, more athlete.

At a time when most elite footwear adds layers of cushioning, structure, and tech, Hollins is pushing in the opposite direction—training and living barefoot whenever possible, and choosing minimalist footwear when shoes are required.

The Playbook Take — Vivobarefoot is one of my favorite brands tackling human performance, sustainability, and product innovation. This collab is a match made in heaven. (More)

Arnold Schwarzenegger Partners with Momentous to Set the Standard for Performance and Longevity

Arnold Schwarzenegger has officially partnered with Momentous, deepening a long-running relationship into a multi-year collaboration built around science, discipline, and long-term performance.

The partnership launches The Arnold Stack—a simple, foundational supplement lineup personally selected by Schwarzenegger and powered by The Momentous Standard™. It includes protein (whey isolate or plant-based), creatine, and vitamin D3—no novelty ingredients, no excess complexity.

The Playbook Take — No better advocate for being trend proof then the legend Arnold himself. (More)

Paris Saint-Germain Partners With Zing Coach to Turn Fans Into Active Participants

Paris Saint-Germain has partnered with Zing Coach through 2027 to bring player-inspired, AI-powered training experiences directly to its global fanbase of more than 500 million.

Starting January 6, 2026 fans can access adaptive workouts inside the Zing Coach app—modeled after routines from PSG’s Women’s and Men’s teams—track progress, climb leaderboards, and unlock rewards ranging from VIP match experiences to signed memorabilia.

The Playbook Take — The goes way beyond merch and media rights. This is meeting fans where they are and making them feel like they are a part of the team. (More)

🧬 The Shop

NOBULL Enters The Nutrition Game

Tom Brady is officially closing the door on TB12 Sports, the performance and recovery brand he co-founded in 2013—and opening a new one under NOBULL Nutrition.

In a post shared with fans, Brady confirmed TB12 is winding down after more than a decade, thanking the community that helped build it. The pivot isn’t an exit from wellness—it’s a consolidation.

“No-bullshit products designed to help people get better mentally, emotionally, and physically.”

That’s the thesis behind NOBULL Nutrition, the brand’s first-ever supplement line.

adidas Launches Dropset 4 — One Shoe for Lift, Jump, and Run

Adidas has unveiled the Dropset 4, its most versatile functional training shoe to date. Lauched January 8, 2026, the updated model is designed to handle heavy lifts, explosive jumps, and short runs (up to 800m)—all in a single session.

The shoe debuts amid a simple insight: 7 in 10 gym-goers train in the wrong footwear. Dropset 4 aims to cut through that problem with a true cross-functional build—stable under load, responsive on impact, and runnable when workouts demand it.

Morning Water Rebuilds the First 20 Minutes of Your Day

Morning routines are getting simpler—and smarter. Morning Water is a new hydration and performance drink designed to replace an entire morning supplement stack with a single glass of water.

Co-founded by Austin Brawner and Blake Mycoskie, Morning Water was built after both founders navigated serious health challenges that forced them to rethink energy, focus, and recovery from the ground up. The insight was simple: how you start the day matters more than what you add later.

Instead of pills, powders, and complicated “morning cocktails,” Morning Water delivers hydration, creatine, electrolytes, and calming amino acids in one clean, great-tasting stick—taken first thing in the morning.

Cymbiotika’s Advanced Liposomal Creatine Redefines How Creatine Is Delivered

Creatine is one of the most researched supplements in performance nutrition—but how it’s delivered has barely changed in decades.

That’s what Cymbiotika is aiming to fix with the launch of Advanced Liposomal Creatine, a ready-to-use, liquid creatine formula designed to improve absorption, reduce bloating, and expand creatine’s role beyond muscle into cognitive performance and recovery.

MONT Launches Tart Cherry Recovery for Endurance Athletes

MONT has officially exited pre-order and launched its first product: Tart Cherry Recovery, a purpose-built recovery drink designed for runners, cyclists, and endurance athletes operating under high oxidative stress.

Rather than chasing trends, MONT is betting on a proven recovery input — tart cherry extract — delivered in a cleaner, more functional format built for real training blocks, not casual workouts.

PROMIX Launches Grass-Fed Beef Protein Isolate — Sells Out in Minutes

PROMIX just introduced a product the protein aisle hasn’t seen before: a grass-fed beef protein isolate designed to sit between whey and collagen—then outperform both where it matters most.

The result?

A complete, dairy-free protein that supports muscle recovery and connective tissue health. And demand came fast: the first drop sold out within minutes. The waitlist is now open.

🔋 Recovery At The Push Of A Button

Finally — a recovery tool that speaks your body’s natural language: frequency.

Your cells are like batteries — powering every thought, heartbeat, and movement. But stress, screen time, and overtraining drain that charge fast.

HAELO uses Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) to restore cellular energy and balance at the push of a button.

• Backed by 2,000+ double-blind studies

• Trusted by elite coaches, Olympians, and pro athletes

• Designed for at-home use

Just choose a Frequency Set in the app, place the coil on your body, and hit play. Each session aligns with your body’s natural rhythm — helping you regulate, repair, and recharge from the inside out.

👉 Use code PLAYBOOK and get $300 OFF

🎙️ On The Podcast

This is an episode I recorded September 2024 with Robbie Balenger right after he finished the Leadville 100.

The human machine also ran across America in 2021 (Huntington Beach, CA to Central Park, NY) averaging 43 miles a day for 70+ days. Badass story.

Robbie breaks down how structured training, smarter recovery, and years of endurance experience reshaped his approach to one of ultra-running’s most iconic races.

We talk flow states, running as a tool for discipline, why sleep matters more than gadgets, and how endurance mirrors life itself.

He also shares his current Flow Stack—from SISU sauna’s and core work to clean fueling and the trail shoes he trusts deep in the mountains.

If you’re curious how elite endurance athletes think about longevity—not just mileage—this one’s worth your time.

📰 Full article here. 

💰 The Boardroom

The $25B Bet on Focus | Why NFL Stars Are Investing in Ultra

The energy category is changing — and some of the most recognizable names in sports are moving early.

Joe Burrow and Dak Prescott,have joined the latest funding round for Ultra, a nicotine-free functional pouch brand built for clean, sustained focus.

Ultra just closed an $11 million Series A, led by Left Lane Capital, with participation from top CPG founders (Harry’s, Grüns, Rockstar Energy) and elite athletes who understand performance pressure better than most.

This isn’t another energy drink deal.

It’s a bet on an entirely new delivery system for performance.

The Playbook Take — I thin Ultra will dominate over the next decade and copycats will follow. It’s in an entirely different lane than Sett and Athletic Nicotine. I’ve used all three products and am bullish on all of them. (More)

Freddie Freeman, Mike Trout, and Elite Athletes Invest in Ammortal to Redefine Recovery Infrastructure

Ammortal has secured a powerful vote of confidence from some of the most accomplished athletes in modern sports.

Freddie Freeman (LA Dodgers) and Mike Trout (LA Angels) have joined Ammortal as athlete ambassadors and investors, alongside a growing roster of championship-caliber talent across the MLB, NFL, and Olympic sport.

The group includes Alex Bregman, George Kittle, Matt Chapman, Bode Miller, and others—marking a shift from endorsement to equity-backed belief in recovery as infrastructure.(More)

Ozlo Acquires Segotia to Go Deeper on the Neuroscience of Sleep

Ozlo has acquired Segotia, an Ireland-based neuroscience and audio technology company, deepening its push into brain-level sleep research. As part of the deal, Segotia will become Ozlo’s dedicated neuroscience R&D hub, strengthening how the company studies sleep, recovery, and cognitive performance.

The move signals Ozlo’s intent to go beyond sound masking and comfort—toward a more complete understanding of how the brain behaves during sleep, and how that data can unlock better recovery outcomes. (More)

Playlist and EGYM Merge in $7.5B Deal to Build the AI Backbone of Global Wellness

Playlist—the parent company of Mindbody, ClassPass, and Booker—has merged with connected fitness and wellness tech leader EGYM, valuing the combined company at $7.5 billion.

The transaction includes $785 million in new equity funding, earmarked primarily for AI initiatives designed to help gyms, studios, and wellness operators grow more efficiently and sustainably. (More)

Overtime

✔️ DryWater Secures NSF Certified For Sport Designation, Elevating Clean Performance Hydration (More)

🥝 Beast Health Blender Launches In Steel (More)

🌹 Derrick Rose Opens Flower Shop To Create Community, Strengthen Bonds, And Spread Love In His Hometown Of Chicago (More)

⚡️Cosm signs Monster Energy to venue sponsorship (More)

🦾 Nike Strength Open Trap Bar Now Available In UK (More)

🐊 New Balance Launches Gator Run Shoe (More)