Doctor explains why you should never dry scoop your pre-workout

If you've ever looked up gym content on social media, you'll probably have stumbled across the growing trend of dry-scooping.

For those who aren't on FitTok, the trend involves people pouring full scoops of pre-workout powder directly into their mouths and swallowing it dry, instead of mixing it with water as intended.

Fitness influencers have normalised the trend as being a time-saver, often filming themselves downing the dry clump of powder in their car or in the changing rooms immediately before heading into a workout.

But while the bizarre movement appears to be pretty common in the fitness world, a doctor has warned its anything but safe.

If you cast your minds back several years to the cinnamon challenge, which saw people trying to down a teaspoon of dry cinnamon, the concept is pretty similar.

It's deceptively easy to choke on a mouthful of something that extracts every last drop of moisture out of your mouth, but that's not where the concerns end.

"Pre-workout powders are never meant to be inhaled or taken dry. If you accidentally breathe the powder into your lungs, it can cause serious irritation or inflammation, and in the worst cases, lead to choking or breathing problems," Dr Babak Ashrafi, GP at Superdrug Online Doctor, told LADbible.

"These supplements are designed to be mixed thoroughly with water so your body can process them safely and effectively."

In addition to the physical dangers of dry-scooping, there are also major concerns over the contents of pre-workout when consumed in this way, going against the health and safety for these particular products.

Most pre-workout supplements contain high levels of caffeine and other stimulants, which consumed in this way, can cause a number of worrying side effects.

"When you dry scoop, you’re giving your body an instant and very concentrated shot of caffeine and other stimulants. That can make your heart race, raise your blood pressure, and cause dizziness, nausea, or even chest pain. It’s a lot for your system to handle in one go, especially if you have underlying health conditions," Dr Ashrafi continued.

Dry-scooping is just one of the trends emerging on TikTok that ranges from bizarre to outright dangerous, with the GP warning that 10 percent of Brits have followed incorrect health information on social media.

“TikTok videos in the health space have been a longstanding concern. A study we conducted at Superdrug Online Doctor found that 59 percent of Brits have seen untrue or misleading health information on TikTok, and 1 in 10 have actually taken action on advice that turned out to be inaccurate," Dr Ashrafi concluded.

"This highlights the need to check what you are seeing online and to not jump on trends just for the sake of it."

Interestingly, TikTok appears to be taking steps to discourage harmful practices like dry-scooping, as when you search for it on the app, a message pops up blocking the content.

"Your safety matters. Some online challenges can be dangerous, disturbing or even fabricated. Learn how to recognise harmful challenges so you can protect your health and well-being."