The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) has released new brain health guidelines aimed at giving athletes practical advice to protect their long-term neurological wellbeing. The institute framed the recommendations as a hopeful counterpoint to the often grim narrative surrounding Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma in contact sports.

The guidelines—outlined in the AIS’s Promoting Lifelong Brain Health Position Statement—encourage athletes to maintain regular exercise, a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, reduced alcohol consumption, avoidance of smoking and vaping, social engagement, and education about brain health. Developed in collaboration with the UNSW Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing and 2026 Senior Australian of the Year Professor Henry Brodaty, the recommendations seek to empower athletes to take greater responsibility for their brain health.

“This is a message of hope and agency,” Professor Brodaty said, acknowledging that while not all risk factors can be controlled, lifestyle choices can significantly mitigate the likelihood of dementia and poor brain health. Dr. David Hughes, the AIS chief medical officer, described the effort as a necessary widening of the conversation around brain trauma in sport. “We take head trauma, repeated head trauma and concussion very seriously,” Hughes said. “But what we need to do is broaden the conversation to think about all the factors that can potentially contribute to brain health.”

The guidelines have received a mixed response. Some former athletes welcomed the initiative. Christian Welch, a recently retired NRL player and Melbourne Storm premiership winner, said the statement validated his experience, acknowledging that while head knocks occur in rugby league, players can still take steps to protect their brains and continue to value their careers. “The reality is that sometimes we do have head knocks… this is also an action plan really to help people who have suffered concussions to really improve their brain health,” Welch commented.

Similarly, former Wallabies front rower Ben Alexander, who has researched brain trauma after the suicide of teammate Dan Vickerman, supported the guidelines. While stressing the need for ongoing concussion and CTE research, Alexander cautioned against framing all mental health struggles of former athletes solely as consequences of CTE. “I think the conversation needs to be balanced,” he said.

However, some neuroscientists expressed concern that the guidelines may underplay the severity of CTE risks. Professor Alan Pearce of Swinburne University of Technology criticized the message for placing too much responsibility on athletes rather than sports organizations. “It’s a bit like McDonald’s and Coke saying if you eat healthily, you can enjoy fast food,” Pearce said, suggesting the approach might inadvertently downplay systemic responsibilities to reduce harm.

Internationally, leading US neuroscientist Chris Nowinski echoed this viewpoint, urging sports governing bodies to intensify efforts to prevent CTE. Nowinski cautioned that the AIS’s focus on post-career brain health without a corresponding emphasis on prevention and acknowledgment of the role of contact sports in causing CTE risked shifting blame onto athletes. “Sporting codes profit from the activities that lead to CTE, and they are not doing enough to prevent CTE or support those suffering later,” he said.

Despite differing views, the AIS maintains that addressing brain health is a complex challenge that requires open dialogue and collective responsibility. Hughes stated that the organization views its guidelines not as minimizing concussion risks but as expanding the conversation to give athletes agency and hope for healthier futures.