John Berardi, PhD, CSCS
John Berardi
About My Philosophy
I’d like to start with my philosophy, which is quite simple. I believe that people from all walks of life – from soccer stars to soccer coaches to soccer moms – should have access to the most recent developments in health, exercise, and nutrient science.
And in this belief, the Precision Nutrition team and I exist for one purpose: to help people get better through nutrition and exercise. Of course, when I say “better,” I mean looking better, feeling better, and performing better.
How It All Got Started
This whole thing started early on in my life. You see, my passion for fitness and sport has been around as long as I can remember – even though I grew up as a skinny kid with asthma. That’s right, I even had my own “puffer,” carried around an “epi pen,” and went for weekly allergy shots to prevent me from wheezing or sneezing myself to death.
Fortunately, as time passed, my interest in sport, nutrition, and exercise seemed to “fix” all that other stuff. In fact, I even went on to compete at a fairly high level in the following sports: track and field, rugby, and football. If you can believe it, this once skinny kid built up his body to the point of becoming the 1995 the Mr Jr USA bodybuilding champion!
From Brawn to Brain
Always being one of those kids who wanted to know “why,” I was forever reading nutrition and exercise books. So when it came time to pick a career, I decided to pursue an education in exercise physiology and nutrient biochemistry.
To this end, I completed Undergraduate studies at Lock Haven University (Health Science, Philosophy, and Psychology), Masters studies at Eastern Michigan University (Exercise Physiology), and Doctoral studies at the University of Western Ontario (Kinesiology; specialization in exercise and nutrient biochemistry).
That’s right – I went to school for a LONG time; about 10 years of post-secondary education. And now, never far away from academia, I’m an assistant adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Austin. In the classroom I’ve taught university courses in Strength Training, Exercise Science, Laboratory Techniques in Exercise Science, Nutrient Metabolism, Fitness and Wellness, and Exercise Nutrition. And in the field, I’ve published 8 scientific abstract, 15 scientific papers and textbook chapters, and have presented at nearly 50 scientific, exercise, and nutrition related conferences.
Back To Sport
While completing my doctoral degree, I got highly involved in coaching. And my passion for helping people achieve their very best has continued to this very day. I’ve consulted with individuals from all walks of life, from the sedentary to athletes at the highest level of sport.
Some of those top athletes include:
NHL hockey players, NFL football players, UFC fighters, members of the University of Texas football and track and field teams, and athletes on the following Canadian national teams: cross country skiing, alpine skiing, canoe/kayak, bobsleigh/skeleton, speed skating.
I’m also on the board of directors for the International Youth Conditioning Association (helping shape the nutritional recommendations for children), an advisory board member of the the Titleist Performance Institute (helping shape the nutritional recommendations for golfers), an advisory board member of The Healthy Food Bank (helping to provide healthy food for those in need), and a member of the editorial board for Spezzatino magazine.
What I’m Most Proud Of
When asked what I’m most proud of, the answer is simple. I’m most proud of my involvement in creating the Precision Nutrition System. In this one product, I’ve taken my years of research and work with exercisers and athletes and distilled it into one entertaining and instructive system guaranteed to produce results.
The Precision Nutrition System consists of two parts: the educational component, which comes in the form of the various guides and our cookbook, and the support component, which comes in the online Member Zone. These two things have come to define PN: we teach you exactly what you need to know, and then we help you all the way to your goal with expert advice and the 24/7 support of our nearly 40,000 strong community.