The Formulator

John David Williams

Over the past thirty years, I have had the good fortune to meet and associate with some of the most profound and forward thinkers in the nutrition and sports environments. From Gideon Ariel, PhD, to Daniel S. Fertig, PhD and Tudor Bompa, PhD, to name but a few, I have learned sports nutrition literally from the ground up.

When Gideon and I, back in 1979 thought about publishing a journal of sports science, we understood the need to comprehend the athlete through all sciences, e.g. kinesiology, exercise physiology, psychology, medicine, chiropractic and nutrition, etc. Events took both of us in different directions, but the pursuit for me has always been – the total athlete and performance. I would read magazines about this training techinique or that piece of equipment and always wondered why no one mentioned the key element – the fuel. In those days sports nutrition consited of protein powders, liver tablets and multi vitamins and the predominant focus was bodybuilding.

In 1983, Bob Fritz brought me into the neophyte Bay Area nutrition company – UNIPRO. The next five years would establish UNIPRO as the leader in sports nutrition and the only such company that approached the athlete from a total (global) perspective. In association with Daniel Fertig, Tudor Bompa and later Mackie Shilstone, we learned training and nutrition from the masters. From here, we worked hand-in-hand to introduce heretofore unheard of ingredients and develop products that could deliver a noticeable result at a specific time for a desired event.

The road was rocky and we took on practically every exercise physiologist and nutritionist in the country. They downplayed the need for sports drinks and thought that supplements were little more than a rip off. While they were pooh poohing, we were achieving remarkable results with the use of amino acids (peptides), glucose polymers, creatine phosphate, OKG, PAK, glutamine, betaine, n-dimethylglycine, arginine, beta sitosterol, campesterol and numerous other nutrients. UNIPRO was the leader and responsible for the birth of the sports nutrition industry. Bob Fritz and others went on to found some of the most renowned and respected nutrition companies.

Through all of this time, I have never wavered from our original ideal –how best to train and fuel the athlete, while accelerating recovery and minimizing injuries. As you look about the sports world, I believe we succeeded – periodization (Bompa) has been taken up as the standard for training; sports nutrition has become accepted and unfortunately went through a period where the drug dealers took charge. Thankfully, we have regained normalcy and are witnessing remarkable performances through the ability to noticeably enhance endogenous and exogenous energy, increase lean muscle mass by one or more pounds per week and have taken recovery to a new and higher level.

I can unequivocally guarantee to the athlete that the products I develop are legal, safe and will deliver the desired results at the time needed.

I was almost crippled from playing basketball and then had the good fortune to meet food science labs and be introduced to their perna canaliculus product. Once again, I can run and jump and have made it my life long commitment to give to others what was given to me – performance.

Some of the products and nutrients introduced or associated with:

Casein hydrolysates (di and tripeptides)
Casophosphopeptides
OKG
PAK
Beta sitosterol
Campesterol
DMG
TMG
Alpha Ketogluterate
Creatine Phosphate
Creatine
Malate
ALA
Phosphatydil Choline and serine
Glutamine
Arginine
Gamma Oryzanol (liquid)
Tocotrienols
MSM
Sports Drinks that prevent cramping, inhibit lactic acid accumulation, enhance energy and extend endurance
Recovery Powders
Initial Fat Burner
Liquid Energy System

I thank the thousands of athletes of both sexes, and at all levels, who have trusted and benefited from the products, and; a special thanks to Daniel S. Fertig, PhD the most brilliant nutrition/biologist that I have had the pleasure of meeting and Tudor Bompa, PhD, truly the father of Periodization.