Met-Rx

MET-Rx is a brand name of nutritional supplements. The brand is best known as the product to pioneer a new category of bodybuilding supplements known as Meal Replacement Powders or MRPs.

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Origins

Created by Dr. A. Scott Connelly, M.D. MET-Rx was originally designed to help prevent critically ill patients from losing muscle mass. Connelly's product was discovered by Bill Phillips and the two began marketing to the bodybuilding and athletic communities, launching sales from the low hundreds of thousands to over $100 million annually. Connelly sold all interest in the company to Rexall Sundown, (at the time a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Numico), for $108 million in 2000. MET-Rx is currently owned by NBTY.^[1]

Original MET-Rx MRP

The original MET-Rx meal replacement product came in two canisters - one labeled MET-Rx "base" and the other MET-Rx "plus." The instructions were to take two scoops of the base and one scoop of the plus and mix them in milk or water. As the product grew more popular, it was released combining the "base" and "plus" into one formula while removing the micellar casein component.^[2]

METAMYOSYN Protein Blend

MET-Rx's meal replacements and protein powders contain a proprietary blend (known as METAMYOSYN) which consists of ingredients such as whey protein, calcium caseinate, egg albumen and milk protein isolate, combined with maltodextrin, vitamins, minerals and added amino acids. METAMYOSYN was originally developed by Dr. Connelly, who performed extensive post-medical surgical research. He found that RNA synthesis and protein transfer in myosin filament chains achieved greatest sensitivity to nutritional intervention. MET-Rx became the "metabolic prescription" for specific metabolic requirements emphasizing intervention on the myosin filaments.

While the original METAMYOSYN blend is no longer used in MET-Rx products (the current incarnation of METAMYOSYN no longer contains micellar casein), it is still used in numerous MET-Rx products to this day.

Marketing

MET-Rx currently features a wide variety of television sponsorships such as the MET-Rx World's Strongest Man contest and as of 2004 the company claimed the brand was endorsed by 50 top athletes.^[3] MET-Rx also sponsors dozens of athletes, bodybuilders and celebrities, as well as being the primary sponsor of the World's Strongest Man competition. Phillip Heath, IFBB pro, and Lauren Jones, Miss MET-Rx 2007, Fitness Model and Former WWE Diva, are among their list of endorsees.

See also

• Bill Phillips
• Bodybuilding supplement
• MET-Rx World's Strongest Man