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Dan Benardot, PhD, RD, FACSMProfessor of Practice

Biography

Dan Benardot is Professor of Practice in the Center for the Study of Human Health at Emory University, following his retirement as tenured full Professor of Nutrition, and full Professor of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University (GSU), where he currently holds the rank of Professor Emeritus. He received his BS in Foods and Nutrition from SUNY Plattsburgh, and PhD in Human Service Studies and Human Nutrition from Cornell University, is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist. He received an honorary doctorate (Doctoria Honoris Causa) from Marywood University for his accomplishments in the area of Sports Nutrition.

For much of his time at GSU, Dr. Benardot was an administrator/academician, having served as Chair of the Department of Nutrition, Associate Dean for Research for the College of Health and Human Sciences, and Director of Research for the Center for Sports Medicine. From 2002 through 2016 he served as founder/director of the Laboratory for Elite Athlete Performance at GSU. He was GSU’s founding chair of the Intellectual Property Committee, chaired the university Promotion and Tenure Document committee, and chaired the university Radiation Protection Committee.

He has written several books and book chapters on sports nutrition, and numerous scientific refereed publications that focus on within-day energy balance and related issues in competitive athletes. His research has been primarily funded by the United States Olympic Committee, Georgia Research Foundation, American Cancer Society, Atlanta Falcons, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, and California Horse Racing Commission. His most recent books are “Advanced Sports Nutrition-3rd Edition (© 2021 Human Kinetics) and “ACSMs Nutrition for Exercise Science” (© 2019 Wolters Kluwer). Dr. Benardot co-authored the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canadian, and the American College of Sports Medicine joint position paper on “Nutrition and Athletic Performance” in 1993 and was a scientific reviewer for the 2009 and 2016 position papers. He has served on the editorial board for ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal and is a manuscript reviewer for The Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, The International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, Journal of the American Society of Sports Nutrition, Nutrition Journal, Obesity Research, and Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

In 1993 he received the American Dietetic Association’s Sports and Cardiovascular Nutrition achievement award; in 1995 he was initiated into the Alumni Honor Roll for the State University System of New York; in 1996 USA Gymnastics presented him with the Outstanding Educator Award following the team’s Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games; he also served as nutritionist for several other US Olympic teams, including USA Track and Field (marathon, 2004 Athens Olympics) and USA Figure Skating (multiple Olympic games). In 1997 he became the first American appointee to the Medical Commission of the international governing body for gymnastics (Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique). He established a sports nutrition program for collegiate athletes at Georgia State University and, via a funded grant, served as nutritionist for the Atlanta Falcons for several years leading up to the 2017 NFC Championship. As part of an intellectual property endeavor that originated through GSU, Dr. Benardot is inventor of NutriTiming® software, which assesses real-time energy balance and nutrient intake.

  • AS, State University of New York at Canton in Food Service Administration
  • BS, State University of New York at Plattsburgh in Foods and Nutrition
  • PhD, Cornell University in Human Service Studies and Nutrition Sciences

Recent Publications

  • Chen Y, Liang Y, Guo H, Meng K, Qiu J, and Benardot D. Muscle-related effect of whey protein and vitamin D 3 supplementation provided before- or after sleep in males ungergoing resistance training. Nutrients. 2022; 14(2289): https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14112289
  • Che K, Qiu J, Yi L, Zou M, Li Z, Carr A, Snipe RMJ, and Benardot D. Effects of a short-term “fat adaptation with carbohydrate restoration” diet on metabolic responses and exercise performance in endurance athletes. Nutrients. 2021: 13(3), 1033. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13031033
  • Benardot D. Nutritional concerns for the artistic athlete. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Clinics of North America. 2021:32(1): 51-64 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2020.09.008 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1047965120300887?via%3Dihub)
  • Cao W, Qiu J, Cai T, Yi L, Benardot D, and Zou M. Effect of D-ribose supplementation on delayed onset muscle soreness induced by plyometric exercise in college students. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2020; 17:42; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00371-8
  • "Nutrition for Athletes, Part 2", Pediatric Sports Medicine Podcast. November 20, 2020.
  • "Nutrition for Athletes, Part 1", Pediatric Sports Medicine Podcast. October 29, 2020.
  • Benardot D. “Advanced Sports Nutrition-3nd Edition”, Human Kinetics Publishers: Champagne, IL. © 2021; 517 pages (Release date: July 2020) ISBN: 978-1-4925-9309-6 (print)
  • Benardot D. ”ACSMs Nutrition for Exercise Science-1st Edition”, Wolters Kluwer Publishers © 2019; 590 pages (ISBN-13: 978-1496343406; ISBN-10: 1496343409)
  • Meng K, Qiu J, Benardot D, Carr A, Yi L, Wang J, and Liang Y. The risk of low energy availability in Chinese elite and recreational female aesthetic sports athletes. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2020; 17(13): https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00344-x
  • Behrens CE, Delk-Licata A, Benardot D, Bertrand BM, Chandler-Laney PC, Plaisance EP, and Fernández JR. The relationship between hourly energy balance and fat mass in female collegiate soccer players. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise. 2020: doi: https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2020.154.02.
  • Bellissimo MP, Nucci A, Thompson W, and Benardot D. Relationship between hourly energy balance and body composition in professional cheerleaders. Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise. 2019; https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-019-0004-9
  • Delk-Licata A, Behrens CE, Benardot D, Bertrand B, Chandler-Laney PC, Fernandez JR, and Plaisance EP. The association between dietary protein intake frequency, amount, and state of energy balance on body composition in a women’s collegiate soccer team. International Journal of Sports and Exercise Medicine. 2019; 5(3):123- https://doi.org/10.23937/2469-5718/1510123
  • Wang J, Qiu J, Yi Longyan, Hou Z, Benardot D, and Cao W. Effect of sodium bicarbonate ingestion during 6 weeks of HIIT on anaerobic performance of college students. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2019; 16(18): https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-019-0285-8
  • Arroyo F, Benardot D, and Hernandez E. Within-Day Energy Balance in Mexican Female Soccer (Football) Players - An Exploratory Investigation. International Journal of Sports and Exercise Medicine. 2018; 4(4):107. doi.org/10.23937/2469- 5718/1510107
  • Fahrenholtz IL, Sjödin A, Benardot D, Tornberg ÅB, Skouby S, Faber J, Sundgot-Borgen J, and Melin A. Within-day energy deficiency and reproductive function in female endurance athletes. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports 2018: 1-8 doi: 10.1111/sms.13030
  • Benardot D. Getting Enough and On Time: Nutrition Strategies for Olympic Athletes. ACSM Sports Medicine Bulletin – Active Voice. August 16, 2016.

Research Expertise

  • Nutrition and physical activity as it relates to athletic performance and health
  • Within-day energy balance and implications for weight and body composition
  • Nutrient distribution and implications for cellular function, development, and disease