Dr Adam Collins
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.
I have been committed to undergraduate and postgraduate nutrition education for over 15years, joining the University of Surrey in 2006. As programme director 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) undertaking one-to-one nutritional consultations, as well as commissioned lectures and workshops. I was employed as nutrition consultant for a commercial weight management company (EurodietTM) from 2006 until 2007, and continue to develop external links and collaborations whilst fulfilling a full-time role at Surrey.
Research
Research interests
Research Interests
Obesity/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 / Nutritional Assessment
Previous work has focussed 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).
My teaching
Teaching
Programme Director:
BSc Nutrition MSc Human Nutrition
Faculty PgT Coordinator
Module organiser:
BMS3056 Advances in Nutrition: Energy & Lipid Metabolism BMS3069 Sports & Exercise Nutrition MHUM02 – Nutritional Evaluation & Assessment MHUM07 – Sports & Exercise Nutrition Module 11 (MSc Nutritional medicine) – Nutrition for Sports and Exercise Performance
Teaching contributions to a variety of modules:
Physiology, Human Nutrition, Applied Nutrition, Key Skills for Nutrition & Dietetics, MSc Health & Clinical Sciences, 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
Typically, I supervise numerous dissertations a year, on a variety of nutrition topics.
PhD Supervision
Investigating dietary carbohydrate manipulation for metabolic health
My publications
Publications
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 –
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