Mark Gilbert, MuscleGenes co-founder, told NutraIngredients: “We produce a report for our consumers with evidence-based recommendations on the most appropriate diet, exercise and supplement approaches for their genetic profile.”
The Oxfordshire-based firm tests over 40 genes associated with athletic performance and metabolism.
“These genes have influences on everything from aspects of the metabolism, like insulin function, susceptibility to obesity and blood pressure to a person’s ability to recover from intense exercise, how they process energy in their muscles and things like lactose intolerance and caffeine sensitivity and many more characteristics,” said Gilbert.
“For example, if someone has a number of gene variations that are strongly associated with a higher risk of declining insulin function, we can recommend a more moderate carbohydrate, lower-glycemic diet,” he added.
‘To empower not scare’
The company aimed to help people deliver fitness goals rather than identify risks to their health. “Our test and service are there to empower people not to scare them.”
It sought to give people information that would save them time in determining what worked best for their particular gene profile.
“It takes a good personal trainer or nutritionist several months to figure out what kinds of exercise and diet interventions work best for a client. It can take coaches many years to figure out all of the things that their elite athletes and sportsmen respond best to,” said Gilbert.
The company tested its services on elite athletes and bodybuilders (including Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman), but claimed that many of its consumers now were everyday people who just wanted better results from their diet and exercise programmes.
It said its aim was to reverse trends in the UK and US that made them the world’s obesity capitals.