Our Advisory Council
Charlie Engle - "The Hydrationist"
“Extreme Athletics Guy”, Hydration Enthusiast, Marathon Runner
Charlie Engle is a global ultra-endurance athlete and the founder of the 5.8 Global Adventure Series, trekking from the lowest to the highest points on all seven continents. Having completed hundreds of races around the world, Charlie Engle is one of the most accomplished ultramarathon runners in the world. He ran across the Sahara Desert by running nearly two marathons per day for 111 consecutive days for a total of over 4,500 miles, which remains as one of the premier accomplishments in the adventure sports world. After seeing the global water crisis firsthand on this trek, he would go on to co-found the global humanitarian organization Water.org alongside Matt Damon.
A recovery success story, Charlie attributes his motivation to run and tackle extreme adventures to his battle with addiction to drugs and alcohol. Charlie has been in recovery since July 23, 1992 and credits a large part of his recovery to the devotion and emotional release he experiences while running.
“Running has allowed me to explore the far-reaching corners of the globe and meet amazing, diverse people. I have found that even in cultures that generally distrust strangers, people are more likely to welcome me if I am on foot. It somehow makes me less threatening, perhaps more human. Most cultures understand running as a part of their daily lives. It is something that shines a light on how we are the same and briefly dims how we are different. When I run, I always feel connected to others. That is a powerful force that I truly love about my life.”
Dr. David C. Nieman, DrPH, FACSM
Professor, Principal Investigator, Human Performance Laboratory
With over 370 peer-reviewed publications and more than $10.9 million in received research grants, Dr. David Nieman is a pioneer in exercise and nutrition immunology research. Currently a professor at Appalachian State University in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biology and director of the Human Performance Lab at the North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis, N.C., Nieman has been the recipient of numerous faculty and research awards such as the Montoye Scholar Award from the Southeaster American College of Sports Medicine (2005) and ACSM’s Citation Award (2013). He has represented Appalachian State University four times as the Oliver Max Gardner nominee. He has authored 9 books on health, exercise science, and nutrition, including Exercise Testing and Prescription: A Health-Related Approach (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011, now in its 7th edition). His previous research helped establish…
- regular moderate exercise lowers upper respiratory tract infection rates while improving immunosurveillance,
- heavy exertion increases infection rates while causing transient changes in immune function, and
- that carbohydrate and flavonoid ingestion by athletes attenuates exercise-induced inflammation.
Nieman serves as sports nutrition section Editor-in-Chief for journals Nutrition and Frontiers in Nutrition and sits on 10 journal editorial boards such as the International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism and Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Nieman currently researches unique nutritional products as countermeasures to exercise- and obesity-induced immune dysfunctions, inflammation, illness, and oxidative stress using a multi-omics approach.
Nieman was an acrobatic gymnast for 10 years, and has run 58 marathons (PR 2:37) and ultramarathons.
A recovery success story, Charlie attributes his motivation to run and tackle extreme adventures to his battle with addiction to drugs and alcohol. Charlie has been in recovery since July 23, 1992 and credits a large part of his recovery to the devotion and emotional release he experiences while running.
“Running has allowed me to explore the far-reaching corners of the globe and meet amazing, diverse people. I have found that even in cultures that generally distrust strangers, people are more likely to welcome me if I am on foot. It somehow makes me less threatening, perhaps more human. Most cultures understand running as a part of their daily lives. It is something that shines a light on how we are the same and briefly dims how we are different. When I run, I always feel connected to others. That is a powerful force that I truly love about my life.”
Nick Gillitt, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer – Berkley RD
With an extensive background in nutrition research and education Nick was the head of the Dole Nutrition Institute (DNI) for many years and was also the Chief Scientific Officer of David H. Murdock Research Institute, a non-profit health and nutrition research focused CRO. His considerable knowledge of human metabolism and how nutrients, particularly phytochemicals, interact with it, coupled with his expertise in the use of sophisticated analytical instrumentation to measure them and their metabolic effects provides the perfect backdrop for an evidence-based approach to product development in the nutrition space.
