Founded in 1978, the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is an international nonprofit educational association that serves 33,000 members in 56 countries. Drawing on its vast network of members, the NSCA develops and presents the most advanced information regarding strength training and conditioning practices, injury prevention, and research findings.

Unlike any other organization, the NSCA brings together a diverse group of professionals from the sport science, athletic, allied health, and fitness industries. By working to find practical applications for new research findings in the strength and conditioning field, the association fosters the development of strength training and conditioning as a discipline and as a profession.

Bill I. Campbell, PhD, CSCS, FISSN, is assistant professor and director of the Exercise and Performance Nutrition Laboratory at the University of South Florida, an internationally recognized research laboratory dedicated to innovation in sport nutrition research. As a researcher and author, Campbell has published more than 100 articles and abstracts in scientific journals and over 45 articles for health and fitness magazines (print and electronic media). He was the lead author on the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s Position Stand: Protein and Exercise, which addresses some of the common questions and myths regarding protein intake and supplementation for athletes and physically active people

Campbell is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN). Campbell is also a fellow of ISSN and serves on the organization’s advisory board. He received his PhD in exercise, nutrition, and preventive health from Baylor University in 2007. During this same year, he also received the Outstanding Doctoral Student Award for research and teaching. In 2009, Campbell received the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award from the University of South Florida.

Marie A. Spano, MS, RD/LD, FISSN, CSCS, CSSD, is one of the country’s leading sport nutritionists. She combines science with practical experience to help Olympic, professional, and recreational athletes implement customized nutrition plans to maximize athletic performance. Also a nutrition communications expert, Spano consults with leading food, beverage, and supplement companies regarding public relations and communications strategies.

Spano enjoys the challenge of communicating scientific information in an approachable, understandable format to a variety of audiences. She has appeared on NBC, ABC, Fox, and CBS affiliates. She has also authored hundreds of magazine articles, trade publication articles, book chapters, e-zines, and marketing materials.

A three-sport collegiate athlete, Spano earned her master’s degree in nutrition from the University of Georgia and her bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), where she also ran Division I cross country. Her experience as a college athlete gives her perspective on working with athletes of all levels, especially student-athletes. She has a firsthand understanding of how the demands of athletics, psychological aspects of injury, and sleep, recovery, and sound nutrition can affect an athlete’s overall well-being and performance

Spano is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), and Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN). She currently serves as vice president for the ISSN and is a member of the NSCA’s Nutrition Special Interest Group.