BODYBUILDER John Meadows reportedly died of a blood clot – 18 months after suffering a heart attack.
The 49-year-old athlete, who was dubbed Mountain Dog, died on August 8.
Meadows died of a pulmonary embolism, according to US Day News.
Fans speculated that it may have been related to a heart attack the bodybuilder suffered early last year.
A statement posted on Facebook read: “Dear Friends and Family, I am posting this on behalf of Mary. This morning John passed away unexpectedly and peacefully in their home.
"As you can imagine, this is a complete shock to her and the boys. She will update as soon as she can."
The bodybuilder reportedly suffered from a rare disease that saw him admitted to hospital after his colon burst.
Opening up about his experience, Meadows said: “If I hadn’t been in the hospital, I wouldn’t have survived.
“They didn’t figure out what was really wrong until they did a biopsy. It was a vascular disease in a particular vein in the sigmoid part of my colon."
Tributes have poured in from fellow athletes as news of Meadows' death emerged.
'INCREDIBLY MISSED'
American footballer Will Compton said: "Heartbreaking news to hear John Meadows passed away.
"We lost a genuine human who loved everything about his life and family. Truly one of the good guys and I’m happy to have been friends with him My heart goes out to his family."
Bodybuilder Theresa Ivancik said: "I am at an incredible loss and in complete shock to hear I just lost a very special person in my life.
"I never would have thought in a million years this would be the last time I would see my coach.
"I am so heartbroken to hear that we lost one of the best in the industry. You will be incredibly missed but never forgotten."
And Serbian IFBB bodybuilder Miloš Šarčev said: "Rest in peace John – you'll live in my heart and mind forever. I love you, man."
Meadows enjoyed a successful bodybuilding career that spanned 30 years.
He entered his first bodybuilding competition at the age of 13 in 1985 while also pursuing his passion for powerlifting.
Meadows gained a reputation as a respected bodybuilder as he competed in several national shows.
The bodybuilder's last pro contest was the 2017 Muscle Mayhem Kansas Pro, where he came 14th.
He later worked as a trainer and nutritionist and had more than 500,000 subscribers on YouTube where he shared clips about bodybuilding, fitness, and dieting.
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