In 1993, Dr. Jon Linderman and his graduate student, Dave Liotta, used their University’s exercise physiology lab to evaluate many top Northern California cyclists and triathletes. This frequent testing gave birth to PR Consultants.
Using power output data and seminal theories about lactate metabolism (inspired by the work of Dr.George Brooks of UC Berkeley) Linderman and Liotta successfully developed several novel performance testing protocols that foreshadowed current state of the art power output based training practices.
In 1995, Dr. Linderman took a position at The Ohio State University and Dave completed his graduate research publishing the article, The Effects of Three Diets on Endurance in Trained and Untrained Cyclists. Dave Liotta has since continued the craft of power output based performance testing and evidence-based coaching of endurance athletes.
In 2012, Liotta founded BeFit Consultants to reflect the expanded range of expertise provided. BeFit now offers bike fits, strength and conditioning guidance, and medical and health references through a network of fellow “best in class” providers.
Dave’s perspective has been enriched by over 25 years as a competitive amateur triathlete (4 Hawaii Ironman finishes), graduate level education in exercise physiology, and as an instructor in Cabrillo College’s department of Kinesiology and Health Science.
Most recently, Dave has been involved as a consultant for several Silicon Valley start-ups working on next generation wearable sensors. Dave is especially grateful for the mentorship from Dr. Guy Hatch (Reveal Biosensensor) and Dr. Yvonne Cagle (The Wrap).
In Dave’s Own Words:
Right place, right time. That’s my story.
I grew up in the swim crazy Lafayette, California, where more of my high school peers tried out for our water polo team than our football team.
Despite having been a precocious age grouper, my swimming star was descending by early high school. On a lark, at 14 years old I signed up for a local run/bike event and I was hooked. Shortly after this, I was kindly invited to join a group coached by Marc Evans, arguably the world’s first triathlon coach.
Marc and his group of pros and budding elites (including Dean Harper, Don Seymour, Sean and Phil Molina, Andy Kelsey and Peter Cazlet) mentored me in the early ways of multisport. To be fair, I got pummeled weekly! As a culmination to my “early days” period I traveled to Pennsylvania to compete in the national Olympic distance triathlon championships (although triathlon was not an Olympic sport at this time). I did well — somewhere in the top 50 — BUT, there was a guy one year younger who notably destroyed all of us under twenty athletes (and all but 5 of the professionals). His name was Lance. I decided to go to college that same weekend. Thanks, Lance!
College in Chico offered more than endless parties. Chico had some of the best roads and cyclists in the West. My sophomore year I declared Philosophy as my major and saw my first Ironman distance race in person. It was the famous “Ironwar” between Mark Allen and Dave Scott. Mark and Dave went impossibly fast on an impossibly challenging course. Despite my predisposition for much shorter distances, I knew Ironman was something I had to experience. Between 1991 and 2003 I competed in 4 Hawaii events somewhat successfully and enjoyed the privilege of training with some of the best cyclists and triathletes of a generation.
After my second Hawaii and being disappointed in my chosen graduate program in Clinical Psychology I switched my graduate school aspirations to Exercise Physiology where I conducted and published research on the “40-30-30” diet and endurance. All these experiences where a spiral up, eventually leading me to coaching other triathletes ( head coach of the Santa Cruz Triathlon Association, Team in Training for several years as well as coaching many elites) and teaching Health Science and Kinesiology classes at Cabrillo College.