Professor Harris, who spent close to five decades as a leading contributor to the field of exercise biochemistry, passed away on Dec. 1 at the age of 80.
He began his career in 1968, moving to Sweden to study carbohydrate loading with Dr. Eric Hultman and Dr. Jonas Bergstrom at St. Eriks Hospital in Stockholm after earning his BSc and PhD in biochemistry from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Jeff Stout, PhD, Pegasus Professor and director at the School of Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Central Florida, noted that it was here that his work “helped transform sports nutrition into a laboratory-based science.”
It was also during his time in Sweden that he developed an interest in creatine and creatine-phosphoryltransferase in adenine nucleotide metabolism in contracting muscle, which planted the seeds for studies in the 1990s that led to the publication of a landmark paper in 1992 in Clinical Science that described creatine loading in muscle.
Steve Jennings, co-founder and CEO at Yeu, worked with Professor Harris in the early 1990s on creatine. He called him “a visionary and creative thinker whose groundbreaking contributions forever changed the field of sports nutrition.”
“His legacy was cemented in 1992 with the publication of a defining research paper on creatine, which revolutionized our understanding of human performance,” Jennings said. “This landmark study demonstrated, unequivocally, that creatine supplementation could enhance performance in explosive, sprint and power-related sports by 1% to 3%, which is a game-changing edge in competitive athletics. This was proven at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when several British athletes using creatine in competition for the first time won gold medals.
“This breakthrough not only transformed the way athletes approach performance enhancement but also laid the foundation for creatine to become a cornerstone of the sports nutrition supplement category. Roger’s impact on the field is immeasurable, and his work continues to inspire and guide researchers and scientists worldwide,” added Jennings.
“Professor Harris’ influence will continue to shape the future of sports nutrition for generations to come”
Dr. Ralf Jäger, managing member of Increnovo, first met Professor Harris in 1999 and considered him a mentor.
“Professor Roger Harris was a true pioneer in the field of sports nutrition research,” he said. “His groundbreaking work on the beneficial effects of creatine and beta-alanine on athletic performance transformed the way athletes approach their training and recovery.
“I had the privilege of meeting him 25 years ago, and from that moment, he became a mentor whose wisdom, guidance and passion profoundly impacted me. His dedication to advancing sports science and his ability to inspire others were unmatched, leaving an enduring legacy in both the scientific community and the lives of those who had the pleasure of meeting him.”
“Professor Harris’ influence will continue to shape the future of sports nutrition for generations to come,” Dr. Jäger added.
“He always taught three essential rules when developing new ingredients: #1 does it get into the blood?, #2 does it reach the target tissue—often the muscle?, and #3 can supplementation increase muscular stores of that ingredient, subsequently resulting in meaningful physiological improvements? These principles guided his research and helped shape the understanding of how specific nutrients can optimize athletic performance.”
Beta-alanine
Professor Harris was also involved in the early science around beta-alanine, including a 2006 paper in Amino Acids, which showed for the first time that beta-alanine supplementation could elevate carnosine levels.
The second author on this paper is Mark J. Tallon, PhD, managing partner and founder of the UK-based Legal Products Group. Professor Harris was Dr. Tallon’s PhD supervisor, and the pair continued to collaborate after Dr. Tallon obtained his doctorate.
“I searched out Roger [in 1999 for my doctorate] due to my interest in creatine and already at that time he was a seminal name in comparative physiology, biochemistry and sports performance,” Dr. Tallon said. “Over my four years of studying under Roger, we built a lab, published the first papers on carnosine and beta-alanine and had a few laughs electrocuting each other and taking biopsies.
“Over the years my interaction with other academics made me realize he was truly exceptional thinker and one whom connected the dots others could not see. Whilst I can laud his academic credentials, I would like to remember him also as a person, someone willing to share his knowledge and as someone with a passion for academic discovery.
“Those lessons have not been forgotten, and I remained in contact with Roger until this year with our last meeting in summer 2023—at which time he was still as astute, active and interested in new areas of science and living life to the full.”
Beta-alanine subsequently became a blockbuster ingredient in the sports nutrition space, notably under the brand name CarnoSyn by California-based Natural Alternatives International (NAI).
Mark LeDoux, NAI’s CEO and chairman, commented: “Seldom in life does one encounter a person with an inquisitive nature who has ineffable enthusiasm to pursue hunches and convert them into scientifically provable facts, allowing lives to be blessed with innovations in the realm of nutrition. Professor Roger Harris was such a man of indefatigable energy and a keen mind capable of critical thinking.
“While sadly he has passed from daily life among us, his legacy of scientific research that gave encouragement to so many around the world with his groundbreaking work with creatine and beta-alanine endures and continues to expand.
“Athletes of all types, particularly those requiring great endurance and muscle strength benefited from his primary research, and people concerned with aging and gracefully maintaining full capacity for enjoyment of life while preserving their ambulatory and motor skills, not to mention a sharp mind and healthy skeletal structure and rigorous cardiac function, have been blessed with the fruits of Roger’s labors.
“CarnoSyn Beta-Alanine has been ingested by millions of people around the world, and athletes have stood on podiums receiving the highest accolades of achievement who in part owe their excellence to his work while elderly people who had been challenged with mobility had their ambulatory functions restored through supplementation. I will miss my friend of over 30 years but will smile every time I think of him and the multitudes of people he has helped through his lifelong journey in science.”
‘His work has impacted millions worldwide’
What is clear from all the tributes is that Professor Harris’ brilliant mind was matched by the generosity of his heart.
Professor Rick Kreider, PhD, director of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab at Texas A&M University, described Professor Harris as a wonderful person, brilliant physiologist and biochemist and long-time colleague.
“I was honored to work with Professor Harris on many projects since the early 1990s when he published the seminal paper showing that oral creatine monohydrate supplementation could increase muscle phosphocreatine stores,” he said.
“He then showed that oral beta-alanine supplementation could increase muscle carnosine and serve as an ergogenic aid for high-intensity exercise performance. Creatine and beta-alanine are now among the most effective and popular dietary supplements for athletes and active aging populations.
“More importantly, Roger was a valued colleague, mentor, friend and humble scientist whose work has impacted millions worldwide. Roger will be missed but his impact will live on. Well done, my friend!”