Dr. Colin Robertson is Zinzino’s Scientific Research Specialist, currently working out of his home in the outskirts of Liverpool. Colin is a qualified nutritionist, a published author and he holds a PhD in Exercise Physiology. He firmly believes that everyone – regardless of personal circumstances – has the right to the absolute best support and guidance when it comes to making positive lifestyle changes. And, that is not an empty promise. Just ask the people he’s helped climb Everest and row the Atlantic.
Colin has been involved in human performance and sport science his entire professional career. From starting out as a PT in the gym, all the way through to being a clinical exercise physiologist, a strength and conditioning coach and a nutritionist for governing bodies of sport. He is an avid environmental physiologist and has prepared numerous global adventurers to undertake unimaginable challenges. Colin truly believes in living life to the full, and he has no respect for the status quo. He wants to break the collective narrative and show that problems are solvable, that we’re not better off by distancing ourselves from them. This Doctor of Philosophy also has another, quite literal, ace up his sleeve. One that might make you do a double take.
So, Colin. What brought you to Zinzino?
I believe that health, wellness, and fitness are the building blocks of a life worth living. The driving philosophy at Zinzino is perfectly aligned with what I want to achieve. I want to work in a research capacity, generate new understandings and share them. I also like the concept of direct sales and the inherent step away from anonymous retail environments towards having real, profound, conversations with people.
Colin acknowledges that this business model is all about communication, connecting with people and giving anybody the chance to improve their situation from a financial or health point of view. This mindset to help change things for the better is in perfect harmony with the qualities that Colin is bringing to Zinzino.
I’ve operated within the fitness and health space for 27 years now. Understanding the academic rigor that is required, as well as how to make things work in real life, is game-changing. I am triggered by the collective passive acceptance of a poorer quality of life in the modern world. We’ve made comfort so accessible; we’ve become numb. There’s a pill, a remedy, or a distraction for every single thing that might actually prompt a person to own their situation and do more.
Colin wants to break this victim mentality and he brings that cultural understanding with him on board, along with a never-ending ambition to change things for the better.
Life is incredible and you get to live it now! Every day should give you something back. I truly believe that, as whimsical as it might sound.
How would you describe what you do?
I wear a pretty eclectic range of hats, but I typically say that I’m a knowledge broker. My job is really to give people access to information and expertise that can help them make informed choices and decisions about their lives. Zinzino has created a global conversation about health. We get to reframe the information circulating at universities and share it with the general public across the world. I love that. In that sense, all of us here at Zinzino are knowledge brokers.
Colin says that the upcoming gut biome testing is going to be a real passion project of his. Finding out more about the interaction between the brain and the gut and being able to quantify that for people is not only a huge step forward in Zinzino’s test-based, personalized nutrition strategy, it’s at the core of his own way of working. He is looking forward to exploring more future-proofed ecological solutions that will give people a real sympathetic and proactive strategy in regards to their cellular health. And he sees even more ways to put the Zinzino vision “Inspire change in life” to practice.
I’m here to help foster a deeper understanding amongst people, to support them in making positive changes. It requires consistency and endurance. You’ve got to see it through. A lot of people today fall by the wayside and give up because they’ve reached a point in life where their drive and the fire in their belly has been extinguished. What I bring to this – and everything I do – is an unquenchable fire. I won’t be satisfied until we’ve changed as many lives as possible for the better.
Tell us something about yourself that might seem out of character!
I’m not a crusader. A big part of what I do is to reassure people. So, I’ve got to be sensitive about this hobby of mine. I’m probably what you would qualify as heavily tattooed. To this day, being a researcher is having a doctor’s hat, wearing a white robe, and so people always do a double take when they see my tattooed skin. I find it quite entertaining.
The tattoos are mainly an art form according to Colin, and he maintains that there’s no real deep or personal meaning attached to them. Except perhaps for the one on his foot, “There’s no strength without unity”.
That one is a treasured memory from a great rugby victory many years ago. All of us in the team got one done after the game.
