Dr. Eric Williamson
Science-based consulting and coaching
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Get to Know Dr. Eric Williamson
Combining science and personalized coaching for long-term results
Hi, I’m Eric Williamson, PhD, your coach and consultant through Unlocked Fitness and Nutrition.
Health and longevity are the center of my life — I’m constantly striving to understand how each change to our lifestyle affects our body, mind, and performance. Thorough, independent research is the only way to learn what works and what doesn’t. My background in science and extensive knowledge enables me to help you achieve your goals, without sacrificing delicious foods or spending time with friends and family.
At 19 years old, I launched into the world of sport and exercise nutrition. Studying two undergrad degrees at the same time to gain a BA in Kinesiology and BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics at Western University (making the honor roll each year). To become a registered dietitian, I completed an internship working in all areas of dietetics, and then continued into an MSc and PhD in the area of exercise nutrition and metabolism at the University of Toronto. My entire academic career was 12 years!
During this time, I also became:
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a Level 2 Certified Health and Wellness Coach through Precision Nutrition,
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a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist,
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and a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics.
In 2013, during the fourth year of my undergrad studies, I started coaching clients and then in 2015 launched Unlocked Fitness and Nutrition.
Unlike many other nutritionists, I’m not satisfied with knowing just enough, I’ve been driven to master the field of fitness and health every day since 2010. In my free time, I enjoy keeping up with cutting-edge research that allows me to provide trustworthy, evidence-based nutrition advice to my clients as well as to various companies and social media outlets (e.g. Abbey’s Kitchen, Legendary Life, Nexus Longevity).
I am also the Director of Nutrition at Canyon Ranch, where I provide services to guests, manage the team of dietitians across properties and collaborate with the culinary team to help ensure the food provided at the resorts is both nutritious and delicious.
With my 10+ years of experience and expertise in the field of nutrition and fitness, I aim to use everything I’ve learned to help you achieve your health goals.
Track Record
Qualifications
Team clients
Research publications
In the media
Director of Nutrition for Canyon Ranch Health and Wellness Resort
Recognized for contributions to the field of nutrition as a junior scientist as the winner of the Gatorade Sport Science Institute and The American College of Sports Medicine Young Investigator Award.
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MSc and PhD in Exercise Nutrition and Metabolism
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Registered Dietitian (RD)
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Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)
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Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
I’ve had the privilege of working with some exceptional teams.
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The OHL’s Oshawa Generals
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The University of Toronto’s Men’s Varsity Basketball team
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Hannah McKeand’s Ultra-Endurance Polar Expedition Training Company
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HealthOne Medical and Wellness Centre
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Hynes Performance Powerlifting and Strength Coaching
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Dr. Greg Wells’ Global Health Consulting Firm
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NYAC’s Novice to International Swimming Club
Participating in prestigious research throughout my career has been a major highlight. I’ve been involved with many publications as a researcher in well-controlled influential studies. We’ve studied everything from molecular regulation of metabolic pathways to physical performance.
A Muscle-Centric Perspective on Intermittent Fasting: A Suboptimal Dietary Strategy for Supporting Muscle Protein Remodelling and Muscle Mass? Front Nutr (2021)
Interrupting prolonged sitting with repeated chair stands or short walks reduces postprandial insulinemia in healthy adults. J Appl Physiol (2021)
Protein Intake to Maximize Whole-Body Anabolism during Postexercise Recovery in Resistance-Trained Men with High Habitual Intakes is Severalfold Greater than the Current Recommended Dietary Allowance. J Nutr (2019).
Low-Carbohydrate Training Increases Protein Requirements of Endurance Athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc (2019).
Protein to Maximize Whole-Body Anabolism in Resistance-trained Females after Exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc (2019).
The Effect of Dietary Protein on Protein Metabolism and Performance in Endurance-trained Males. Med Sci Sports Exerc (2019).
Whey Protein Supplementation Enhances Whole Body Protein Metabolism and Recovery of Performance after Resistance Exercise: A Double-blind Crossover Study. The FASEB Journal (2017).
Nutritional implications for ultra-endurance walking and running events. Extrem Physiol Med (2016).
Engineering physiology' to understand the post-exercise biochemical milieu: mixing it up with anabolic hormones. J Physiol (2016).
Consultant for the Legendary Life Podcast with Ted Ryce
Consultant for Abbey’s Kitchen YouTube Channel with Abbey Sharp
Endorsements
Eric was an intern of mine in 2015 and ever since then, I knew his passion for the field was going to make him an excellent sports dietitian. He is now one of my go-to referrals when I'm too busy with my clients or I think Eric would be a better fit. He has a very strong academic background and a great understanding of science which is critical in our field. I'm always excited to catch up with Eric because he's constantly making big strides in his career.
Jen Sygo
RD, MSc, CSSD
Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist,
Toronto Raptors, Athletics Canada, Gymnastics Canada, Cleveland Clinic Canada
Author: "Unmasking Superfoods"
Eric is a pleasure to work with and is extremely well qualified in the area of wellness and performance nutrition. The lab where he did his PhD conducts phenomenal research and his background in academia, research, teaching and practice make him a well-rounded individual for any pursuit in sport and exercise nutrition. Eric has a grasp on both the physiology and the psychology involved in nutrition coaching. I have always enjoyed having him as a part of my team.
Greg Wells, PhD
Researcher at the Hospital for Sick Children, Performance Physiologist, International Speaker
Bestselling Author:
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"Superbodies: Peak Performance Secrets From the World’s Best Athletes"
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"The Ripple Effect: Sleep Better, Eat Better, Move Better, Think Better"
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"The Focus Effect: Change Your Work, Change Your Life"
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"Rest, Refocus, Recharge: A guide for Optimizing Your Life"
App: viiv.io
Eric assists me with finding the science and evidence behind some of my content. His resourcefulness in knowing where to go for reliable information and research on topics in nutrition for fitness and health is outstanding. He’s friendly, easy to talk to and great at interpreting research into actionable takeaways. I love talking science with Eric and coming up with ways to distill complex concepts into easy-to-follow explanations for my audience.
Abbey Sharp
RD
YouTube Star, TV and media personality
Author: “The Mindful Glow Cookbook: Radiant Recipes for Being the Healthiest, Happiest You”
Our Diverse Range of Successes
Physique Competitor, Toronto, ON
Mountaineer, Connecticut
Sports fan with lots of friends, Toronto, ON
12y.o. playing in a baseball league an age-group ahead, Toronto
Latest Stories
My diet/lifestyle approach was extreme with barriers I was unaware of. Unlocked taught me that sustainable changes need critical thinking about what, when and HOW we consume, and willpower alone always has an expiry date. I now know how to listen carefully to my body and take into account all parallel factors including sleep, work-life balance, stress and nutrition. I loved this program. I felt heard, understood and guided the whole way through.
Mark
Business Owner, Toronto
Devoted father, husband and professional leader with a packed schedule
Unlocked helped me get my day-to-day lifestyle up to a high level to match my ambitions for high-level hockey. The accountability [that Unlocked offered] was a necessity for me. Not only did they help me with nutrition, but managing sleep and stress, as well. My energy levels and performance are now more consistent. I feel much more confident going into games knowing exactly what I need to eat and drink, before, during, and after.
Serron
Hockey Player, Oshawa
OHL Player drafted to NHL Florida Panthers
I lost 20lbs and 5cm off my waistline in 12 weeks of coaching and continued to lose weight even after the program to reach my goal. My blood test results went from high risk to a lower risk than the average 20-year-old. I have gained substantial knowledge in nutrition as well as an understanding of how my body responds to different changes. I feel confident that I know exactly how to manipulate my body composition and reach more fitness goals in the future. How much I have learned and incorporated into my life from this experience has truly amazed me.
Chad
Project Manager, Waterloo
Busy hockey dad, balancing a career and time with family and friends
Before Unlocked’s coaching, I would fall off track with other diets and programs and would not know how to get back on. My weight has gone down and my waistline even more so. I now have hunger and cravings under control and my confidence has increased in all areas of my life. My body and my life just feel “lighter”.
Katherine
Flight Attendant, Montréal
Family, friends, and an avid social life
I needed more structure around my eating routine that supported my health and relationship with food. By the end of coaching, my nutrition had become significantly easier to manage and was no longer a source of stress. I developed a repertoire of meal prep ideas and recipes and was eating far less prepackaged, takeout and processed food. I really valued the client-centred, completely judgment-free approach.
Steph
Software Engineer, Toronto
Career-driven individual, always on-the-go
With Unlocked, I was able to keep my traditional East African/Indian food in my diet, have meals I enjoy with my family. I never had to track or count calories. With attainable step-by-step changes throughout the program, I achieved my goal weight loss of 20 lbs and my energy levels became consistently higher. Unlocked also guided me on how to maintain this weight loss and my higher energy levels, so I feel confident going forward on my own.
Shabniz
Business Support at a Major Bank, Toronto
Enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with family
I didn’t know where to start despite all of the content I was taking in from the internet. The coaching program helped me finally set a confident direction and cleared up a lot of confusion. Perhaps the most important thing I learned is how other stressors were affecting me so much and my food choices. Not only did handling that help with my nutrition, but the nutrition support helped with handling the stress. Over the course of 24 weeks of coaching, I lost 30 lbs and started resistance training. I’ve added muscle and feel stronger than ever.
Janet
Elementary School Principal, Grafton
Always striving to grow as a person while caring deeply for others
I absolutely loved my coaching experience with Unlocked! I found extreme benefit in using the personalized spreadsheet created and monitored by my coach. I've been able to consistently hit my endurance fuelling goals, and set new PRs in my running times.
Leigh
Before I started coaching I had digestive issues and weight I wanted to lose. I wanted to find someone I could trust for reliable guidance. Over time we tried different strategies and stuck with the ones that helped improve my digestion. I was provided guidance of the right portions of the right foods for me. I was able to lose over 15lbs and in a way that I feel is very sustainable and fits well within my lifestyle.
Natalie
Computer Engineer, Toronto
Techy juggling continuing education, work, planning a wedding, and exercise
Unlocked Nutrition helped me shave 8 minutes off of my marathon time to 2:50:39, finish 11th in my age group, and 141/3956. I look back and see how many nutrition changes I made and am amazed at how habitual and easier they have become. This performance boost I experienced over the past few months has invigorated my motivation with running and I'm excited to see how far I can take this. I look forward to working with Unlocked again for my first Boston Marathon!
Richard
Running Shoe Designer, Toronto
Dad and beer enthusiast, on marathons
I was hesitant to start this program knowing my physical activity was limited by an injury I had incurred. However, I took a "no-excuses" attitude and started right away. Unlocked's recommendations helped me recover more quickly and start my journey to lean out and boost my running performance. I have been provided with nutrition and exercise guidance I can trust and it has proven effective. So far, I have lost 10lbs and 4.4% body fat which has exceeded my expectations. I'm looking forward to my continued journey with them! journey with them
Elizabeth
Insurance Broker, Lindsay
Running into optimism
I cannot recommend working with the professionals at Unlocked enough, they are truly top notch and they will make sure you see your goals through, while addressing any lingering issues or history you have. It is probably the first time in my life I feel well equipped enough to tackle building muscle, maintaining a healthy relationship with food and losing weight without fearing I will fall into disordered eating again!