Performance Former NFL Running Back & Certified Nutrition Specialist Zach Zenner is a Certified Nutrition Specialist, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition® Practitioner, and former NFL running back who bridges the gap between elite athletics and executive performance. His journey to the NFL was defined by resilience. As an undrafted free agent from South Dakota State University, Zach didn’t rely on draft status or hype—he fought for a roster spot with the Detroit Lions and built a five-year professional career on grit, reliability, and the relentless optimization of his own physiology. Zach’s transition from the gridiron to nutrition advocacy began with a personal realization. Despite being a former NFL player, he couldn't figure out how to avoid energy crashes and build muscle when it was no longer his job to workout. It wasn’t until he overhauled his nutrition protocols that he unlocked the durability required to survive the demands of being a husband, father of 3, and business owner. Today, Zach is the founder of ZION Performance, where he translates those same locker-room strategies for the corporate world. He understands that high-stakes professionals face their own version of "game day" every week—requiring sustained focus, rapid decision-making, and deep energy reserves. A native of Eagan, Minnesota, Zach now lives in the Twin Cities, where he combines his personal experience as a pro athlete with formal training in nutrition to help leaders and teams build the resilience necessary to win in sports and life.