Dan Benardot
Dan Benardot, Ph.D., is a tenured associate professor in the Division of Nutrition and the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University, where he co-directs the Laboratory for Elite Athlete Performance. He received his doctorate in human nutrition from Cornell University, is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and is a registered/licensed dietitian. His research focus on energy balance and related issues in competitive athletes has been funded by the United States Olympic Committee, the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, the Georgia Research Foundation, and the American Cancer Society. Dr. Benardot was the first American appointed to the Medical Commission of the international governing body for gymnastics (Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique), works with USA Figure Skating and USA Track and Field (marathon), and was a founding member of the Athlete Wellness Committee for USA Gymnastics. In 1993, he received the ADA Sports and Cardiovascular Nutrition (SCAN) 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, and in 2002 he received a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, from Marywood University for his work in the area of sports nutrition. Dr. Benardot was in charge of the nutritional health of the gold-medal winning United States Gymnastics Team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and was the nutritionist for the medal-winning USA marathoners at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
