Dr Adam Collins
Academic and research departments
School of Biosciences and Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences.Biography
I have been a qualified nutritionist for over 20 years, completing my undergraduate degree in 1996 before going on to complete an MSc in Nutrition & Metabolism and a PhD focusing on energy expenditure and body composition. My on-going interests lie in obesity, exercise nutrition, body composition and energy metabolism all as can be applied to weight loss/maintenance and metabolic health. Current research includes exercise intensity and energy balance, intermittent fasting, meal timing and composition. Specifically the use of carbohydrate manipulation for metabolic health
I have been committed to undergraduate and postgraduate nutrition education for over 15 years, joining the University of Surrey in 2006. As programme leader for BSc and MSc Nutrition, I am heavily involved in the management and delivery of nutrition education at Surrey.
In 2005, I started a private nutrition consultancy (NutrifficTM), working with companies as a nutrition consultant, undertaking one-to-one nutritional consultations, as well as commissioned lectures and workshops. I am currently nutrition consultant for Form (Formnutrition.co.uk) and previously with a commercial weight management company (EurodietTM). I continue to develop external links and collaborations whilst fulfilling a full-time role at Surrey.
University roles and responsibilities
- Faculty Postgraduate Taught Coordinator
- Programme Leader for BSc (Hons) Nutrition
- Programme Leader for MSc Human Nutrition
News
In the media
Research
Research interests
Obesity and weight loss
Other areas of interest include the measurement of body composition, metabolic rate and energy expenditure, particularly in relation to obesity and weight loss. I am currently interested in the interaction of nutrition and exercise training on energy metabolism for application to weight loss/maintenance. For example:
- Intermittent fasting and time restricted feeding
- The impact of meal timing and meal patterning on metabolic health
- The role of dietary and meal carbohydrate manipulation for cardiometabolic health
- The independent effects of exercise intensity of appetite and energy metabolism
- Timing of nutrition around exercise for improved energy and fat metabolism
Sports nutrition
Previous research has involved nutritional assessment of professional football players and other athletes. I have also been involved in studies looking at the effects of marathon training on bone density. I have built research interests in sports nutrition here at the University of Surrey in collaboration with the new Surrey Sports Park. In particular, with regard to fitness assessment and the effects of nutrition intervention on training and performance.
Current research involves investigating the efficacy of bespoke protein supplementation on exercise training. In addition, examination of longitudinal changes in diet and body composition in young gymnasts.
Body composition and nutritional assessment
Previous work has focused on the validation of Air Displacement Plethysmography (the BODPOD), for the assessment of body composition in a range of individuals. This has also extended into the nutritional assessment of different groups, from professional dancers, professional footballers, the obese and work with the London Fire Brigade. Recent work has included the use of a 3D whole body scanner as a nutritional assessment tool, in collaboration with the London College of Fashion.
I have recently collaborated with Professor Jimmy Bell and the team at the MRC imaging Unit, Imperial College, validating a new bioimpedance method of measuring abdominal adipose tissue compartments (ViScan) against MRI. In addition to ongoing research into the assessment of visceral adiposity in lean and obese individuals and identifying those individuals who may be classed as TOFI (thin on the outside, fat on the inside).
Supervision
Postgraduate research supervision
Typically, I supervise numerous dissertations a year, on a variety of nutrition topics and both BSc and MSc level.
- Investigating dietary carbohydrate manipulation for metabolic health.
- Predicting weight loss using differential equations (PREDICT).
My teaching
Programme director
- BSc Nutrition
- MSc Human Nutrition
- Faculty PgT Coordinator
Module organiser
- BMS1030 - Biochemistry
- BMS2077- Nutritional Physiology & Metabolism
- BMS3056 - Advances in Nutrition: Energy & Lipid Metabolism
- MHUM007 – Sports & Exercise Nutrition
- Module 11 (MSc Nutritional medicine) – Nutrition for Sports and Exercise Performance
Teaching contributions
- Physiology
- Human Nutrition
- Applied Nutrition
- Key Skills for Nutrition & Dietetics
- Metabolic Nutrition
Departmental duties
I also frequently visit Nutrition and Nutrition/Food Science students whilst on industrial Professional Training Placement.
I am also joint Department Section Lead for Teaching Advancement.
Courses I teach on
Postgraduate taught
My publications
Highlights
Books and book chapters
Kwong K, Collins AL (2020), Student Perspectives on a nutrition curriculum. In. Enhancing student-centred teaching in higher education. Gravett K, Yakovchuk N, Kincihn I (eds).. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030353957
Sports & Exercise Nutrition: A Nutrition Society Textbook. Lanham-New S, Sheriffs S, Stear S, Collins AL (eds). 2011. Wiley Blackwell, London
Original articles
Antoni R, Johnston KL, Collins AL, Robertson MD . Intermittent versus continuous energy restriction: differential effects on postprandial glucose and lipid metabolism following matched weight-loss in healthy overweight/obese subjects, Br J Nutr, 2018 – 119(5):507-516.
Shamlan G, Bech P, Robertson MD, Collins AL. Acute effects of exercise intensity on subsequent substrate utilisation, appetite, and energy balance in men and women. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2017 Dec;42(12):1247-1253
Antoni R, Johnston KL, Collins AL, Robertson MD. Effects of intermittent fasting on glucose and lipid metabolism. Proc Nutr Soc. 2017 Jan 16:1-8.
Antoni R, Johnston KL, Collins AL, Robertson MD. Investigation into the acute effects of total and partial energy restriction on postprandial metabolism among overweight/obese participants. Br J Nutr. 2016 Mar 28;115(6):951-9
Canaj R, Collins AL, Johnson K, Robertson MD (2014); The Effects of Intermittent Energy Restriction on Indices of Cardiometabolic Health. Research in Endocrinology.
Thomas EL, Parkinson JR, Frost G, Goldstone AP, McCarthy J, Collins AL, Fitzpatrick J, Durighel G, Taylor-Robinson S, Bell JD (2012): The missing risk: accurate phenotyping of abdominal adiposity and ectopic fat. Obesity 20(1):76-87.
Thomas EL, Collins AL, McCarthy J, Durighel G, Fitzpatrick J, Goldstone A, Bell J (2010): Estimation of abdominal fat compartments by bioelectrical impedance: The validity of the ViScan measurement system in comparison with MRI. EJCN. 64, 525-37
Drysdale IP, Collins AL, Walters NJ, Bird D, Hinkley HJ. (2007): Potential benefits of marathon training on bone health as assessed by calcaneal broadband ultrasound attenuation. J Clin Densitom. 10(2):179-83.
Collins AL, Saunders S, McCarthy HD, Williams JE, Fuller NJ (2003): Within- and between-laboratory variability in air displacement plethysmography. Int J Obes. 28; 80-90
Collins AL & McCarthy HD (2003): Evaluation of factors determining the precision of body composition measurements by air displacement plethysmography. Eur J Clin Nutr. 57; 770-776