Rate My Professor Rob Merrells

Rob Merrells serves as a Lecturer in Exercise and Sport Science within the School of Health Sciences at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle campus. He is a PhD candidate investigating the aetiology of high intensity exercise induced nausea, holding a BSc and a Graduate Diploma in Science. With over 15 years of experience in the sports science industry, Merrells previously held clinical roles at the Institute of Sports Medicine and the Western Australian Institute of Sport. In his current position, he coordinates practicum units for the undergraduate sport science program and oversees the staff fitness program in the School of Health Sciences. A dedicated enthusiast of endurance sports, particularly cycling, he coaches elite athletes across multiple disciplines. Merrells is a member of Exercise and Sports Science Australia and acts as a consultant on fitness standards for the Department of Fisheries Western Australia.

Merrells teaches courses in Human Growth and Development, Exercise Physiology, and Nutrition. His research focuses on training physiology and endurance performance, including the aetiology of high intensity exercise induced nausea, changes in gastrointestinal blood flow following sprint exercise, immune function in endurance athletes, and quantification of training load. Key publications include 'The effects of compression garments on intermittent exercise performance and recovery on consecutive days' (Duffield et al., 2008, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance); 'Strength training in long distance triathletes: Barriers and characteristics' (2018); 'Strength training improves cycling and running economy in long distance triathletes' (2018); 'Role of lactic acidosis as a mediator of sprint-mediated nausea' (2019, Physiological Reports); 'Nausea following Repeated Sprints: Is Lactic Acidosis Really the Culprit?' (2021, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise); and 'Strength Training Improves Exercise Economy in Triathletes During a Simulated Triathlon' (2021, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance). His work contributes to understanding physiological responses in endurance sports and exercise recovery.