John Mercer

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Professor, Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences

Co-director, UNLV Sports Innovation

Expertise: Biomechanics (physics of sports), Kinesiology (study of human movement), Running

Biography

John Mercer is a professor for the department of kinesiology & nutrition sciences, which is the study of how the human body moves. He is an expert in kinesiology, biomechanics (the physics of sports), and running. Mercer has trained as a triathlete for more than 25 years.

A prolific researcher, Mercer recently directed kinesiology-focused studies on rehabilitation techniques like running in the water and running with body weight support, how shoe design is important to consider for children runners, and if rocker-bottom styled shoes increase muscle development in the lower legs.

His work has been published in dozens of industry publications including the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, the Journal of Applied Biomechanics, the European Journal of Applied Physiology, and Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

Mercer is also chair of UNLV’s Biomedical Institutional Review Board, which approves, monitors, and reviews biomedical and social/behavioral research involving human subjects in order to protect their rights and welfare.

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John Mercer In The News

If Running Uphill Feels Like Torture, Make These Expert-Approved Adjustments

Outside Online

I love to run—but I detest running uphill. When I hit an incline, my legs burn, I get acid reflux, and I often need to take a break to catch my breath. Jogging over hills is so terrible for me that I exclusively map out flat routes and sign up for races with minimal elevation, if any. As it turns out, there’s a legitimate reason people struggle with hills. Every single one of us has a unique running style, or running fingerprint, as John Mercer, a professor of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, calls it.

Let’s take off our shoes… Three clear advantages of “walking barefoot”

ArchyWorldys

There is a craze for walking barefoot. This is not a phenomenon exclusive to our country. The number of people who take off their shoes is increasing not only in Australia and New Zealand, where the culture of walking barefoot has taken hold, but also in Europe and the United States.

Take off your shoes… Three surefire benefits of ‘barefoot walking’

Donga.com

The barefoot walking craze is here. It’s not just a phenomenon in our country. In Australia and New Zealand, where the barefoot walking culture is established, as well as in Europe and the United States, the number of people taking off their shoes is increasing.

Why walking barefoot can actually help your feet