Helen Kollias

Helen Kollias, PhD, is PN’s science advisor and coauthor of Precision Nutrition’s Level 1 Certification textbook, The Essentials of Nutrition and Coaching. An exercise physiologist, Dr. Kollias earned her doctorate in Molecular Biology from York University in Toronto, specializing in the area of muscle development and regeneration. She has a master’s degree in Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry from the University of Waterloo, and has taught exercise physiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry at the university and college level.

Before joining Precision Nutrition, Dr. Kollias held research positions at some of the most prestigious institutions in the world, including Johns Hopkins and Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. She has been published in 10 scientific journals in exercise physiology and molecular biology.

Facebook: HelenKolliasPhD
Twitter: @hdkollias

Articles by Helen Kollias, PhD

Research Review: Can CLA help you lose body fat?

Conjugated linoleic acids, or CLAs for short, are produced during ruminant (aka cows and sheep) digestion and thus found in meat and dairy. CLAs may help you lose body fat... that is, if everything else is perfect. (Or you're Danish.)

Research Review: Weak in the knees?

If you ski, jump, run, or skate, you've probably injured your knee, or know someone else who has. How can you keep yourself safe? Look behind you.

Research Review: Leucine vs whey for building muscle

When it comes to muscle building, leucine is the rock star of amino acids. It has its own VIP entrance to the cells, and the DJs mTOR and Rheb start the protein synthesis party when it arrives. But is leucine on its own better than whey?

8 weeks with Cosgrove and JB – The results

Everyone wants to know: What is the best program for weight loss and performance? We tried to answer this question by comparing three programs in our Informal Experiment... and the results were surprising.

Research Review: Postworkout vitamins — help or hindrance?

Exercise provides a form of "good stress" that helps the body compensate and get stronger. But what happens when you "block" that natural stress process with antioxidant vitamins C and E? Is it good or bad? Well, this study suggests it might be both... and that if you're concerned about insulin sensitivity, maybe you should hold off on that multivitamin for a little while.

Fructose vs glucose: What’s worse?

Hey, Kool-Aid! What's going to make us fatter and sicker: fructose or glucose? Oh yeaaahh!

Research Review: Is Splenda safe?

What if, as Nina Simone sang, you want a little sugar in your bowl, or a little sweetness down in your soul? Well, you might opt for Splenda. But are there health consequences to consuming sucralose? Here's what one study suggests.

Informal Experiments: We’ve found the perfect warm-up! (Well, maybe)

"Conan! What is best in life? Also, what is the best warm-up for the bench press!?" "To crush your personal records, to see the barbell driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the 98-lb weaklings! And probably dynamic stretching."

Research Review: Front or back squats

May the force be with you... but hopefully not on your kneecaps. Which squat squashes knee cartilage less? Front or back? Biomechanics has the answer! And you thought physics was boring.

Research Review: Is more really better?

One set versus multiple sets -- it's like the Sharks and the Jets, the Montagues and the Capulets, chocolate sauce and pickles. The two just don't seem to get along. The debate over which is better for strength and muscle mass gain has raged for years. Have we finally found the definitive answer?

The truth about “body type dieting” for ectomorphs, endomorphs, and mesomorphs.

Body types have been used to determine what sports suit someone best, as well as what athletes should be eating to fuel their activities. But are body types actually a “thing,” and should people really be using them to determine their nutritional needs? Here, we’ll dig into the history of body typing, whether they’re scientifically valid, and how to know if body type eating is right for you.

Research Review:

Should Santa have put phosphatidylserine on his Christmas wish list?

Informal Experiments: How do pH strips work?

Cabbage: not just for coleslaw any more! Learn about pH strips and make your own, right in your own kitchen.

Protein supplements:

Little Miss Muffet drank a 50 gram whey protein shake. Miss Muffet can absorb 10 grams every hour. How long does it take for Miss Muffet to absorb all the protein?

Informal Experiments: Do greens supplements improve acid/base status?

Greens supplements are marketed as magical health potions that can improve the way you look, the way you feel, and the way you perform. At least that’s what they say in the ads...PN's intrepid volunteer research subjects tackle the acid-base question and pee into cups, all in the name of PN science! What did they find out?