Conversations with Michael Marino

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Marino.

Hi Michael, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My journey began in elite athletics as a competitive gymnast from an early age. Over the years, I earned multiple state, regional, and national titles, ranking 14th nationally. A major injury, requiring a total knee replacement, at the age of 16 introduced me to the power of recovery, resilience, and eventually, cycling. Cycling became a major contributor that helped me with my recovery and return to gymnastics. After returning from my injury I competed on an athletic scholarship at The Ohio State University, helping lead the team to three Big Ten Championships and a second-place finish at NCAA Championships. After gymnastics I transitioned into cycling and it has since become a passion and outlet for me, both mentally and physically. I’ve ridden around the country as well as around the world. Last April I was in Japan, riding through the mountains of Kyoto with the beautiful Cherry Blossoms in full bloom! On the weekends I’m usually cycling around southern California and putting together rides as a Rapha ride leader and brand ambassador for the cycling community.

Professionally, I have a rare and comprehensive medical background as a dual board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Anesthetist. My clinical experience spans primary care, medical and surgical ICU, long-term care, a wide variety of anesthesia settings, and advanced patient monitoring – most notably through my clinical work in a research lab with Masimo, a global leader in non-invasive medical technology in Irvine, California. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work in Massimo’s lab and learn what it means to build research protocols and carry them out on people. Currently, I work full time at City of Hope as a Nurse Anesthetist, delivering care to people at some of the most difficult times of their lives. It’s extremely rewarding to care for people and know they are trusting you to take care of them. When I’m not at the hospital, I’m busy building, developing, and testing patients with Project Blue!

Last year I developed “Project Blue – Health Optimization” as a concierge medical practice that focuses on athletes. This has been a passion of mine and privilege to blend my athletic background with my medical background. I love the idea of helping our community of athletes optimize their health and maintain their performance for years to come! We currently offer traditional healthcare services like physical exams, recommendations for blood work, and managing medications. We also are one of the few places in Southern California to offer high-level endurance testing (for runners and cyclists) – including VO2 max testing, blood lactate testing, metabolic rate measurements, hydration and sodium analysis. These tests allow athletes to personalize and maximize their training and allow them to perform at their best. My goal is to deliver actionable data and personalized strategies to help people train smarter, recover better, and perform at their peak.

A very cool thing about the business is we’ve partnered with some great companies. Our biggest partner is Wahoo Fitness which allows us to test our athletes on either their state of the art treadmill or stationary bicycle. We also sell their products, so if people like what they tested on, they are able to purchase it or any of Wahoo’s large lineup of products. Wahoo is a major technology company specializing in endurance equipment from stationary bike equipment and treadmills to GPS computers and heart rate monitors. Project Blue has also partnered with trusted companies like Thorne and Fullscript to offer clients access to high quality and science-backed supplements with exclusive discounts to help support their journey.

Whether people are looking to optimize their general health or push the limits of athletic performance, Project Blue is here to help people become the best version of themselves by maximizing their longevity and health span!

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Honestly, It’s been a pretty smooth road so far. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a lot of work and a huge learning curve. But, I think it’s been a great experience building the business from the ground up, mostly because this has been a project that excites me from an athletic standpoint and a health standpoint. I’m truly merging years of knowledge and expertise into the business! I’ve been able to get real nerdy with my protocols and standards based on what the science and literature says. Project Blue is in full swing when it comes to testing athletes. We are testing runners and cyclists to analyze their physiology. However, I’m still in the process of building the medical side of things. I feel this is and has been much harder, especially because there are so many more rules when it comes to healthcare. But I feel very lucky that I’m in a unique position to make sure I take my time and do things appropriately because I have a full time job and I’m not fully reliant on Project Blue as my only source of income. I’m also very lucky to have a large network of endurance athlete friends who have been very interested and helpful with allowing me to test them and build a small base of clients simply through word of mouth. I’m planning to start formally marketing the business in a few months. It’s extremely exciting to have thoughts of helping our community of athletes and keep people happy and healthy in the activities they love to do!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I guess the biggest thing that sets me apart from others is that I’m dual board-certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Anesthetist. Not many people in the country are both. Typically you do one or the other. I worked for several years as a Family Nurse Practitioner at a small primary care clinic in Columbus, Ohio. It was an amazing experience that allowed me to work very independently and with many underserved communities. From there I returned to school to focus on anesthesia. As a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) I trained and eventually worked at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in San Bernardino. Then I moved to Orange County and worked at the University of California Medical Center, Irvine for several years, before joining City of Hope in Irvine. I was lucky to have been hired on when they opened their outpatient center. At the time we only had 4 anesthesia providers in our department. It’s been a privilege to help build our anesthesia department from 4 providers to now close to 20 providers. Just this December we helped open the new hospital that will be delivering the best oncology services in all of Southern California!
On the side, I sometimes work independently as a CRNA where I provide anesthesia services to a variety of small clinics like GI centers, for endoscopies or colonoscopies. I do miss interacting, talking and getting to know patients more. In the operating room I’m very diligent about caring for patients but I obviously can’t talk to them or really dive into their issues. As a Nurse Practitioner I have that ability to talk with patients and care for them on a different level. This is what sets me apart, I can be very specific and dialed into healthcare needs and changes in physiology like I am in the operating room. Or, I can take a step back and get to know people from a personal side and understand their needs from their point of view. This is what Project Blue is all about, tailored care!

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
The easiest way to get started is by booking a metabolic or performance assessment directly through the Project Blue website (projectblueoptimization.com). We offer VO₂max testing, lactate profiling, resting metabolic rate analysis, and hydration and sweat analysis packages tailored to endurance athletes, high-performers, and anyone serious about longevity and sustainable health. Sessions are in-person in Anaheim, California.
For collaborations, I’m open to partnering with brands, coaches, or publications that align with data-driven health, whether that’s equipment (e.g., trainers, wearables), nutrition/supplements, or media features. If you’re a coach, gym, triathlon club, or corporate wellness program interested in testing workshops or referral partnerships, I’d love to talk.
The best way to support Project Blue right now is simply by spreading the word: share the site or social channel (@projectblueoptimization on Instagram) with friends who are frustrated with generic training plans or want deeper insight into their physiology. Every referral and conversation helps us reach more people who can benefit from personalized metabolic data. I’m always happy to chat! People can DM me on Instagram or email projectblueoptimization@gmail.com to discuss any ideas, questions, or potential synergies.
Even this interview is an amazing step in our journey to grow and hopefully reach more people. This kind of coverage means a lot as we grow!

Pricing:

• Lactate & Fueling Precision Package – $250
• VO2 Max & Lactate Performance Package – $250
• Focused VO2 Max Test – $125
• Focused Lactate Test – $150
• Physical Exam – $75

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.projectblue-optimization.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/projectblueoptimization
• Twitter: https://x.com/ProjectBlueOpt

Image Credits
Most of the images I have provided have been taken by me. The 2 images with “VO2Master” in the beginning of the file name are from VO2 Master, given to their clients to use for marketing or advertising purposes.