Why I Came Back to Creatine

When I walked away from creatine, it wasn’t out of disappointment. Quite the opposite. We’d started and built something remarkable in the 1990s. Literally, a global supplement category born in secrecy, backed by daring science, and carried forward by a few of us who simply believed. But after scaling it from our little business in the UK to making its claim to fame in the USA. The industry moved on. So did I. I’ve always kept creatine and the advances in human performance nutrition on my radar, but at arm's length.

And then something shifted. A handful of moments, all strung together in the right sequence, lit a fire I thought had long cooled.

The creatine fire was re-ignited in May 2023, when we began actively searching for a liquid stable creatine technology solution, and what I believed had the potential to be the biggest creatine innovation in the last 30 years.

Then came the passing of Dr. Roger Harris, a dear mentor, a brilliant mind, and the actual man who changed the course of my life forever with one quiet meeting in a country hotel in the north of England. Roger was the scientist behind the original research that proved creatine could improve athletic performance. It was his work that powered the revolution we sparked at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and I’ll never forget the moment in February 1993 when he made this comment: "One day, everyone will be taking creatine." When Roger died late last year, NutraIngredients asked me to contribute a memory for a tribute article. That request (just a few words about Roger) cracked open a vault of memories I hadn’t visited in years.

Then came the briefcase. Ha!

My daughter, Rachael, unearthed it from storage over the Christmas period. An old and scuffed black briefcase, sealed tight. Inside was a treasure trove of things my parents had kept safe since Day 1: printed studies, press clippings, notes scribbled in the margins of research papers, faded photographs, original product labels, and media coverage from that first wild creatine ride. She looked me dead in the eye and said, “Dad… this feels like an unfinished mission.”

She wasn’t wrong.

And almost on cue, the calls and messages started rolling in. Old industry friends. Young researchers. Journalists. Curious customers. All asking: “What do you make of creatine for brain health?” “Is it safe for women over 50?” “Does it help with cognitive performance, fatigue, aging?” They weren’t asking about six-packs and bench presses. They were asking about life. Energy. Focus. Healthspan. Things we had suspected creatine could influence over thirty years ago… but couldn’t yet prove.

Now, the proof is everywhere.

In the 1990s, we were operating on instinct, experience, and Roger’s pioneering data. But to be honest, it was nowhere near going mainstream at the time. The athletic world owned it. Which makes sense, but we deeply believed creatine could do more than fuel elite athletes and that it could support everyday performance, protect the brain, and maybe even slow the aging process.

But in the last decade, the research has exploded. Today, creatine isn’t just for the gym crowd. It’s being studied and validated in real time for its impact on cognitive health, mood regulation, neuroprotection, metabolic support, perimenopause, and even mental clarity in older adults. Studies show creatine improves working memory, processing speed, muscle retention, and energy metabolism. The science has caught up to the stories.

And here’s where it gets personal: I turned 64 this year.

That’s a milestone for anyone, but for me, it felt like a full-circle moment. I started this journey in my early 30s, driven by instinct and enthusiasm. Now I’m twice that age, driven by purpose and clarity. I don’t need to hustle for headlines anymore but I do need to finish what we started.

What we’re building with Jenerise isn’t just a nod to the past. Nope, it’s a leap into the future, and we’re taking as many brands, products and consumers along with us as possible. We’ve cracked one of creatine’s most elusive challenges: stabilizing it in liquid form. That might not sound revolutionary at first, but anyone who’s ever tried to mix creatine into a ready-to-drink product (or anything needing to mix creatine with moisture!!) knows how unstable and ineffective it can become over time. Until now, powders were your only option. But powders have limitations, especially for people who value simplicity, consistency, and portability.

With liquid-stable creatine, we’re finally making this molecule accessible to the millions of people who need it most: older adults, busy parents, students, shift workers, vegans, and women in menopause. All those people who don’t live in the gym but still want their brains and bodies to perform at their best.

We’re calling it Creatine 2.0, and it's a mission, not a moment. So yes, I’m back. Not to relive the glory days. Not to cash in on nostalgia. But because creatine still has more to give. And so do I.

There’s a whole new wave of consumers out there, and they deserve better than marketing fluff and half-truths. They deserve clean formulations, real science, and honest leadership. That’s what we’re here to offer with Jenerise. It’s not just a brand. It’s the next evolution of a movement that started in secret and now has the potential to impact hundreds of millions of lives.

If I have one goal for this next chapter, it’s this: to help bring creatine into the mainstream as a foundational part of daily health. Because in the end, creatine isn’t just about performance. It’s about potential. And that’s something worth building again.

If you’re a company or brand looking to dive into Creatine 2.0 with us, let us know! 

We all rise together,

Steve Jennings | Co-Founder + CEO, Jenerise