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(Dayton Daily News Bengals beat writer Chick Ludwig sat down for an interview with Bengals team dietitian Michele Macedonio, who talked about the benefits of good nutrition for professional athletes. Here is the entire transcript:)

Q. What is your company's name and your job title?

A. Nutrition Strategies. My title is Nutrition Consultant and Sports Dietitian. I am a licensed, Registered Dietitian and board certified. The initials CSSD refer to the board certification — Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. My office is at Ignition, 7131 E. Kemper Road in the Kemper Commerce Park. Our phone number is 513-247-9501.

Q. What is your hometown?

A. Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York (home of President Teddy Roosevelt!)

Q. Where did you attend high school?

A. St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay (same as basketball coaches Rick Pitino, Gene Willard, and Ralph Willard)

Q. Please list your college(s), degree(s) and year(s) you graduated.

A. Marywood College (now Marywood University), B.S. Home Economics and Dietetics, 1970; U.S. Public Health Service, Dietetic Internship, 1970-1971; Case Western Reserve University, M.S., Nutrition, 1976; Case Western Reserve University, M.S., Health Sciences Education, 1977; Commission on Dietetic Registration, CSSD, 2006.

Q. When did you start working for the Bengals?

A. March 2003

Q. How did you get hooked up with the Bengals?

A. When Marvin Lewis assumed the head coaching position, he brought in his team of coaches. Both Marvin Lewis and head strength coach Chip Morton are firm believers in the role of nutrition in athletic conditioning. Both have worked with several well-known and highly-respected sports dietitians. In looking for a qualified sports dietitian, Chip interviewed local prospects and also called his contacts in other cities where he received my name. I then received a call from Chip and was asked to interview for the position along with the other candidates. Several interviews later, I was offered the position.

Q. How much of your work week is focused on the Bengals?

A. It is hard to quantify the hours I put into the Bengals. Generally, I am at Paul Brown Stadium every Wednesday except when the team is not actively working. I do go to the stadium in-season, mini-camps, training camp, etc. Since I do not have an office at the stadium (other than my cubby in the media room), I do much of my planning, charting, and other paper work in my home office. Right now, during the offseason, I see individual players at Ignition, a sports-specific training and conditioning facility in Montgomery. This is the best time to work on the long-term issues, including weight gain and weight loss.

Q. What are your duties & responsibilities regarding the Bengals?

A. Underlying all that I do with the Bengals is my effort to establish healthy relationships with players, coaches, and the Bengals management based on confidence in my expertise and trust in my work ethic. I see my role as advising the Bengals players, coaches, and management on all matters related to nutrition. To insure clear communications and smooth operation, I work directly with head strength coach Chip Morton to address all nutrition matters for the team. Ways in which I accomplish this are: meeting one-on-one with individual players as needed, communicating with coaches and promptly responding to their requests, providing team presentations each year, including a yearly nutrition presentation to the rookies, a presentation at Training Camp, presentations on specific topics as needed and providing consultation on meals. I work with the Aramark food service management, consult on training camp menus, airplane and hotel meals, and advise the Bengals management team on ways we can provide the highest quality food in a comfortable and inviting environment. Of course, this is huge goal and it all takes time. It's an evolution.

Q. What's the best part of your job regarding the Bengals?

A. Working with a class organization including the players, coaches, and the Bengals' ownership. It has been so gratifying to see over the past four years the increased recognition and commitment to nutrition as an important component to performance. Each year I see more and more recognition of the importance of nutrition throughout the organization. Without a doubt, I most enjoy interacting with the people and helping to make food and nutrition an important part of a winning strategy. I take great pride in my work and derive deep satisfaction when a player is able to modify his nutrition through changes in his diet. Combining a customized nutrition strategy with a rigorous individual conditioning and training plan results in improved performance. There is no better feeling as when it all comes together!

Q. What's the most frustrating or difficult part of your job?

A. There is never enough time. I am convinced that I could devote three to four days a week solely to Bengals' work because there is that much work to do. Since food provides nutrition, both factors are equally important. There is so much that can be done to raise the level of nutrition of the team, ranging from general education on sports nutrition, to individual-nutrition coaching, to the delivery of great-tasting food that provides high-level nutrition.

Q. What's your No. 1 goal with the Bengals?

A. To win the Super Bowl and to be part of a world-champion team. My strategy for achieving this is to have all players confident that I can help them improve their nutrition, even modestly, which in turn will aid them in improving their performances and their overall health and well-being. The confidence part takes time — one player at a time.

Q. How important is proper nutrition for pro athletes, especially football players?

A. Vince Lombardi summed it up: "You never win a game unless you beat the guy in front of you ... You've got to win the war with the man in front of you." Football is a game of multiple demands. For peak performance, proper nutrition is essential, and food supplies that nutrition. Food is converted to fuel for performance and it furnishes the essential ingredients for building muscle. Today's football players are bigger and faster than ever before, making every little advantage an important plus in beating the guy in front of you. Athletes need the right amount of fuel and the right fuel "blend." The right amount and the blend of fuel will differ from athlete to athlete and from sport to sport. Sports nutrition is a matter of assessing an individual player's nutrition needs, creating a nutrition strategy that supports the player's goals, and then translating the strategy into a meal plan. For any professional athlete, nutrition can make the difference between just performing and performing at your peak.

Q. What constitutes good (and bad) food for pro football players?

A. Individually, there are no 'bad' foods. Just like a football team, foods act in balance and in concert with one another. It's when the balance is off and essential nutrients are in low supply and high demand that a diet falls short. Professional football players are gifted athletes, the best of the best! The competition at this level is at its fiercest. A professional athlete, even one at the top of the heap, can't rest on God-given talent and athleticism alone. At this level, everything counts — conditioning and fitness, training and skill, mental sharpness and focus, personal discipline, and nutrition. A high-performance diet for a football player is high in complex carbohydrates, moderate in protein, and controlled in fat. A truly 'power diet' is filled with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, including breads, crackers, and cereals, rice, and pastas, and other grain products, moderate amounts of low-fat or fat-free dairy products, lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, and legumes, as well as modest amounts of heart-healthy fats such as nuts, seeds and vegetable oils.

Q. On any given day, what is the calorie intake for a player?

A. For a professional football player, depending on the position and the individual, intakes can range from around 5,000 calories to over 10,000 calories a day.

Q. Do you have a favorite success story regarding any particular Bengals player?

A. All success are important to me whether it is helping a player keep weight on during the season when his weight routinely drops, helping a player get into shape for the season, or helping an athlete modify his diet to help improve his blood lipids. In the four seasons that I have worked with the Bengals, I have helped players minimize or even eliminate cramping, improve energy, build lean mass, increase speed, and lower cholesterol. Some players repeatedly touch base with me from time to time when a question arises or a new need surfaces.

One recent success story is worth noting. It began in the off-season last year. Rudi Johnson approached me in April and asked if I could help him trim some body fat and increase his lean mass. I told Rudi that I'd be happy to help him, but that it would require 'full diet disclosure' and work on his part, and it would not happen overnight.

I promised I would give Rudi all the help and support he needed as long as he would stick with it. Rudi assured me that he was committed to following my advice and would do whatever it took. From that point, Rudi and I met weekly. An assessment of his current diet and discussions with Chip Morton to learn Rudi's conditioning routine and exercise demands helped us identify areas of Rudi's diet that needed modifying. We created a meal pattern and menus for Rudi to follow.

Recognizing that he would have a more difficult time sticking to his regime when eating at restaurants, we agreed to limit restaurant dining to no more than three nights a week. For the remaining meals, Rudi requested that I find a personal chef to prepare his meals. I wrote all of Rudi's menus and spec'd out recipes, cooking method, portion sizes, and all of the important ingredients, such as cut or grind of meat. Initially, we hired a chef to make meals and deliver them to Rudi at the stadium for him to take home.

As the season drew closer, Rudi wanted a personal chef to prepare dinners in his home so I needed to look for another chef who specialized in home preparation. After interviewing several chefs, I selected Rhonda Clark as someone who would best suit Rudi's needs. On the initial meeting with Rudi, I accompanied Rhonda to Rudi's home, introduced her to Rudi, and helped her prepare the meal. She was an immediate success! A week later, Rudi wanted Rhonda to prepare a 'feast' for a small number of family and friends. The number started out at 10 or so and ended up being around 30. Once again, I accompanied Rhonda and assisted her in preparing a buffet meal that I designed in advance with Rudi.

By the time the season began, Rudi trimmed his total weight by 23 pounds and his body fat from 12. 5 percent to 6.1 percent. As for performance, Rudi led the team in rushing yards (1,309) and scored 12 touchdowns without any sidelining injuries. Throughout the season and even still, Rhonda continues to prepare Rudi's dinners. She and I tweak the menus from time to time. Rudi and I met weekly during the entire season and I would advise him on his pregame nutrition strategy as well as evaluate his diet and make suggestions for modifying it. The reason this is a favorite story is that it exemplifies how a sports dietitian and a serious, committed athlete can achieve long-term success and top-level performance.

Q. Is there anything you'd like to add?

A. I think I've rattled on enough! Bet you can tell I like what I do!

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com