Fitness fanatics are wondering whether a new TikTok challenge is safe after an OnlyFans star suffered a heart attack.
TikTok user Briatney (@brivtny) posted a video recently, which showed her lying in a hospital bed. She wrote: "Taking a dry pre workout scoop bc I saw it trending on TikTok... Ending up in the hospital because I had a heart attack." Her video has racked up more than 2 million views, 300,000 likes and thousands of comments.
Speaking to BuzzFeed about it, Briatney said she started to feel 'tingly and itchy' all over her body after taking the pre-workout, adding that it "wasn't a good feeling."
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She explained: "But I Googled it and it said that was a normal side effect [...]. So I began to do my workout."
"I started to feel a heavy feeling in my chest and slight pain, but it wasn't too bad. I thought it was maybe anxiety or a bad panic attack, so I decided to just ignore it and push through my workout."
What is dry scooping?
Dry scooping is a pre-workout regime which involves swallowing an undiluted spoonful of a pre-workout supplement or protein powder. It strikes familiarity with the cinnamon challenge trend which swarmed the internet a few years ago.
People do it because they believe it'll help them have a more productive workout.
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"Many say that water dilutes the ingredients and dry scooping allows your body to digest the pre-workout harder, hitting your system faster," wrote workout supplement company, Proven Supps, in a blog post. "This is up for debate as many have shared personal experiences on both sides of the fence."
Proven Supps has seen a 600 per cent increase in Google searches for dry scooping since August 2020.
How long does dry scoop take to kick in?
Whether it's dry or diluted, pre-workout supplements take around 35-40 minutes to reach peak levels in your blood, according to Proven Supps.
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You might feel a caffeine rush before that, which gives you that instant boost of energy. And when you read how much caffeine is in one scoop of pre-workout, you won't be surprised about that instant buzz.
Is dry scooping safe?
"A sudden dose of excessive caffeine can trigger fast and irregular heartbeats, which could lead to sudden cardiac arrest and even death," said nutritionist Ayat Sleymann, speaking to POPSUGAR.
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"There have been reported cases of stroke, heart attacks, hepatitis, and death from not following diluting instructions," Sleymann added.
"Some pre-workouts contain 350MG + of caffeine, having 2 scoops like this would be the equivalent to about 7 cups of coffee!" said Proven Supps. "This is where people start to see negative side-effects driven by ingesting too much caffeine or other stimulants."
Dry scooping can also be bad for your teeth."Many pre-workouts have citric acid in them, and putting this harsh acid directly on your teeth can chew away at your enamel in a way that permanently damages them," said Sarah Grace Meckelberg, a dietician also speaking to POPSUGAR.
Meckelberg added that ingesting dry powder can lead to you inhaling some of it and then it gets in your lungs, which isn't great.
So there's your answer: dry scooping isn't recommended by the experts, but if you are going to do it, follow the guidance on how much to have, chase it with a bit of water, and wait around 35-40 minutes before working out.
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It also goes without saying that if you start to feel any adverse effects, learn from Briatney and don't ignore them - seek medical advice.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/hd.muscleTopics: Health and Fitness, Workout, TikTok