Advancing Athlete Care: Inside the 2026 Clinical Sports Pharmacy Summit

The second inaugural Sports Pharmacy Summit, hosted by the Sports Pharmacy Network, brought together a diverse group of health care professionals committed to advancing athlete care through collaboration, innovation, and evidence-based practice. Held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Summit welcomed pharmacists, athletic trainers, physicians, dietitians, and performance specialists from across the US and around the world, with representation from 9 countries.

Designed as a first-of-its-kind event, the Summit emphasized the evolving role of sports pharmacy within interdisciplinary care teams. Through a series of expert-led sessions, attendees explored emerging trends in sports medicine, including anti-doping considerations, pain management strategies, performance optimization, and the integration of pharmacists into athlete-centered care models.

As Brandon Welch, PharmD, founder of the Sports Pharmacy Network, noted, “What we’re building is not just an event, it is a movement to bring together health care professionals around one shared mission: advancing athlete health and safety.”

The event gave professionals a chance to connect, share practical knowledge, and work together toward a common goal: improving athlete health, safety, and performance.

Day 1 Highlights

Fireside Chat: Integrating Pharmacists into Sports Medicine

Featuring Madeline Camejo, PharmD, and Brandon Welch, PharmD

A fireside chat between Camejo and Welch focused on the evolving role of pharmacists within sports medicine clinics and athlete care. The discussion highlighted opportunities for pharmacists to become more integrated members of interdisciplinary teams, contributing to medication management, injury recovery, and performance optimization. Emphasizing both clinical impact and accessibility, the conversation underscored that pharmacists are uniquely positioned to bridge care gaps, supporting safer, more informed decision-making for athletes at all levels.

Beyond the Pill: Protecting Clean Sport in Our Culture of Quick Fixes

Travis T. Tygart, JD, CEO of US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)

In his keynote presentation, Tygart talked about the growing challenges of antidoping in sports. He explained that the pressure to win and the easy access to substances from online pharmacies and supplements have made both intentional and accidental doping more common. With thousands of online drug sellers around the world and many of whom “break the rules,” athletes now face a more complex and risky situation.

Tygart highlighted the key role health care professionals, especially pharmacists, play in protecting athletes' health and integrity. Pharmacists can identify risky supplements and help athletes follow the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, which helps prevent accidental rule violations. He made it clear that keeping sports clean is not just about testing. It also requires education, careful attention, and teamwork among different professions.

From the Trenches: Applied Sports Nutrition

Sean Casey, RD, CSCS, Sports Dietitian & Performance Specialist

In his presentation, Casey talked about the gap between knowing about nutrition and actually changing habits. He pointed out that while education helps people understand more, it does not always lead to better eating habits. He mentioned research showing that many programs increase knowledge, but fewer lead to real changes in diet.

With over 20 years of experience, Casey stressed the importance of moving from just giving information to using strategies that change behavior. Instead of giving athletes too much data, he encouraged professionals to focus on practical advice and getting athletes involved. He said long-term success comes from making nutrition simple and relevant. He also pointed out that “information alone is not enough to drive behavior,” reminding everyone that sticking to good habits matters more than just knowing about them.

The Fork in the Road: RED-S, Disordered Eating, Eating Disorders, and Overtraining Syndrome

Rebecca McConville, RD, LD, CSSD, CEDS, Registered Dietitian and Eating Disorder Specialist

McConville explored the fine line between high-performing athletes and those at risk of disordered behaviors. She emphasized that many of the traits associated with elite performance, discipline, structure, and drive can become harmful without proper assessment and oversight.

McConville said, “navigating the fine line between a driven athlete and a disordered athlete can be tricky,” especially as athletes try more aggressive ways to seek improvement. She warned that these traits can become harmful if not looked at as part of the whole person, and said health care professionals should put “the human first, and the athlete second.” Her session highlighted the need for good screening, early help, and teamwork among different specialists.

HRV and Metabolic Flexibility

Mike T. Nelson, Researcher and Expert in Metabolic Flexibility and Heart Rate Variability

In his session on metabolic flexibility and heart rate variability (HRV), Mike T. Nelson emphasized that adaptability, not just output, is a key driver of performance and long-term health. He defined metabolic flexibility as the body’s ability to shift between fuel sources, noting that “a loss of that flexibility is a hallmark of insulin resistance and broader metabolic disease.” Nelson provided a practical framework for clinicians, encouraging them to use insulin as a leverage point by strategically timing carbohydrate intake around training while promoting fat oxidation during lower-demand periods, summarized simply as “right fuel, right time.”

Nelson also talked about the growing use of HRV to monitor health, saying its value lies in examining consistent patterns and context, not just single readings. He explained, “HRV will only tell you the status of your autonomic nervous system at the time of measurement, nothing more, nothing less, but still super useful.” He pointed out that wearable devices can vary in accuracy and that long-term trends matter more than 1-time results. His main point was that health shows up in the body's variability and adaptability, and losing that variability can be an early warning sign.

Hormones, Health, and Performance: Navigating PCOS and Endometriosis in Female Athletes

Jessica Beal-Stahl, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist and Sports Medicine Specialist

Beal-Stahl discussed a key challenge in sports medicine: telling the difference between polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). Both can cause menstrual problems, but they are very different conditions, so getting the diagnosis right is important for proper care.

She explained that getting the diagnosis wrong can lead to the wrong treatment and missed long-term risks, especially because PCOS might be more common in elite athletes than once thought. She pointed out that some medicines are often used, but they can affect performance and need to be chosen carefully. Her session showed why it is important to understand the underlying causes, with pharmacists helping to spot when treatment might be hiding the real problem instead of fixing it.

Cases in Sports Pharmacy

Nilhan Uzman, MS, IOC Certified Sports Pharmacist, Sports Pharmacy Network

In this interactive workshop, Uzman guided attendees through real-life situations involving antidoping and clinical decisions. By working through these cases, participants learned how everyday choices, like picking supplements or medications, can sometimes lead to accidental rule violations if not handled carefully. The session stressed the use of reliable resources such as the WADA Prohibited List and GlobalDRO, and a careful, proactive approach to risk assessment. Uzman reminded everyone that in sports pharmacy, it is not enough to know the rules: you also need to apply them, stay alert, and work together to keep athletes healthy and eligible.

Day 2 Highlights

Your Wellness Blueprint

Melanie Smith, PharmD, Owner of Moves With Melanie

In her session, Smith shifted the focus from performance optimization to the foundation that supports it: overall well-being. She defined wellness as “an actively pursued state of good health” that incorporates daily choices, behaviors, and lifestyle, emphasizing that true performance is built on a holistic foundation.

Smith introduced a 360-degree approach to wellness, encouraging attendees to evaluate not only physical health through movement, nutrition, and sleep, but also mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. She guided participants through reflective exercises, including energy audits and honest self-assessments, prompting them to identify habits that either support or deplete performance and overall health. A main point from her session was the importance of sustainability and self-awareness. Instead of strict routines, Smith encouraged practitioners to make realistic, personal plans that can change as life changes.

Muscle Over Myths: Evidence-Based Insights on Caffeine, Strength, and Body Composition

Antonella Schwarz, PhD, MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS, CISSN, Performance Scientist & Athletic Trainer

Antonella Schwarz explained that muscle, not supplements, is the main factor behind performance and adaptation. She said that while caffeine can help with alertness and how hard effort feels, its effects are mostly on the brain, not the muscles.

She reinforced that although caffeine may improve performance in the short term, it does not directly contribute to long-term adaptations. Instead, factors such as mechanical tension, training volume, and recovery ultimately determine outcomes. Schwarz summarized this perspective clearly: training drives adaptation, caffeine is simply a tool, and recovery determines whether those adaptations are sustained. She also highlighted the growing research on the muscle–brain connection, further emphasizing the systemic benefits of resistance training beyond performance alone.

Blood Biomarkers for Peak Performance and Recovery

Pratik Patel, MS, RD, CSCS, Performance Nutritionist and Recovery Specialist

Patel talked about how using objective data is becoming more important for improving athlete health and performance. He said that bloodwork is still one of the most underused tools in both performance and preventive care, as it gives information about the body that you cannot get from outside measurements alone.

Patel explained, “bloodwork is one of the most underutilized tools in performance and preventive health,” especially when understanding how training, nutrition, and recovery affect the body over time. He said it is important to look at trends because “some of the most meaningful warning signs occur when values are still technically ‘normal’ but are drifting in the wrong direction.” Instead of causing worry, Patel encouraged health care professionals to use lab data wisely: “test with purpose, interpret in context, and use the data to drive precise interventions” that help both performance and long-term health.

Panel Discussion: Advancing Clean Sport

A panel discussion on clean sport brought together experts like Welch, Beal-Stahl, Patel, and members of the USADA, as well as paralympian Greta Neimanas. They discussed the new risks athletes and health care providers face as the world of sports becomes increasingly complex.

The panelists talked about the increase in online pharmacies selling illegal and banned substances, and said that clinicians need to be better at spotting these risks. They also discussed the growing use of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, concerns about supplement safety, and new experimental compounds. As more people can get these substances, the panel pointed out how hard it is for clinicians to keep up with both the rules and the medical issues.

The message was clear: as innovation accelerates, protecting athlete health requires a proactive approach grounded in education, vigilance, and evidence-based practice.

Evaluation of Dietary Supplements

Korey Van Wyk, MS, CSCS, Pn2, Performance Coach & Nutrition Specialist

In his session, Van Wyk emphasized the growing need for critical assessment of supplement use among athletes. As supplement consumption continues to rise, so do concerns surrounding safety, efficacy, and contamination. With an estimated 95,000 products on the US market, and research suggesting that approximately 10% to 30% may contain undisclosed prohibited substances, Van Wyk highlighted the increasing risk for both health consequences and inadvertent antidoping violations. Rather than relying solely on ingredient familiarity, he stressed that practitioners must look beyond the label and consider the broader context of product quality and risk.

A central message of his session was that clinicians do not need to become supplement experts. Instead, they need a repeatable system for evaluation. Van Wyk introduced a practical framework built around key questions, including whether a product has credible third-party testing (eg, NSF Certified for Sport or USP), transparent labeling without proprietary blends, and the use of high-quality branded ingredients. He also encouraged practitioners to critically assess marketing language and consider the intended user, noting that products targeting drug-tested athletes or clinical populations may be held to higher standards. Ultimately, his approach provided a consistent and actionable method for determining whether a supplement can be confidently recommended for both safety and effectiveness.

Creatine for Health and Performance

James Munro, ND, Naturopathic Doctor & Performance Specialist

Munro expanded the conversation around one of the most well-researched supplements in sports nutrition. While commonly associated with strength and power, he emphasized that creatine’s benefits extend beyond performance, with growing evidence supporting its role in cognitive function, neurological health, and recovery. By enhancing ATP regeneration, creatine supports energy demands across multiple physiological systems, not just skeletal muscle, positioning it as a versatile tool in both athletic and clinical settings.

Munro also addressed common misconceptions surrounding creatine, reinforcing its strong safety profile when used appropriately and its applicability across a wide range of populations, including non-elite athletes and aging individuals. He highlighted the importance of consistent daily dosing rather than overcomplicating loading strategies, and encouraged clinicians to view creatine as a foundational, evidence-based intervention. Ultimately, his session reframed creatine from a niche performance supplement to a practical, accessible tool for supporting both performance and long-term health.

Takeaways

The Sports Pharmacy Summit was an important milestone in shaping and expanding pharmacists' roles in sports medicine. Throughout the event, one message stood out: the best athlete care comes from teamwork, using clinical evidence, and tailoring strategies to each individual person.

The summit covered a wide range of topics, including antidoping, nutrition, hormones, supplements, and using data to boost performance. It showed that sports pharmacy is a complex but promising area. As the field grows, events like this encourage new ideas, learning, and connections, making pharmacists important partners in supporting athletes’ health and success.

After a successful first year, the Sports Pharmacy Network plans to keep expanding and connect with even more people around the world. Health care professionals interested in athlete care are welcome to stay connected and join future events, including the 2027 Sports Pharmacy Summit.