After an investigation by U.S. researchers into the dry scooping craze on TikTok, doctors have issued a stark warning to parents and gym-goers. Videos of dry scoop demonstrations have been viewed more than 8 million times on TikTok, and the results could be dangerous, if not deadly.

A dry scoop is when a power supplement is taken as-is rather than diluted with water as recommended by the manufacturer. Amid concerns that social media-influenced teenagers are experimenting with dry scoops, researchers speaking at a health conference in the U.S. see this growing trend as dangerous.

Pre-workout powders typically contain ingredients designed to give the body a boost before a workout to increase stamina. Pre-workout supplements usually contain ingredients such as amino acids, vitamins, caffeine, creatine, and beta-alanine. Researchers at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New York found that one scoop of pre-workout powder contains as much caffeine as five cups of coffee. Large amounts of caffeine have been shown to affect the heart, causing heart palpitations, extra beats, and missing.

The dry scoop trend is not new, with Reddit threads discussing the benefits of inhaling dry powder going back five years. However, the trend has resurfaced in recent months, in part due to the influence of TikTok. Researchers analyzed 100 videos posted on TikTok with the hashtag "pre-workout."

One TikTok user, Briatony Portillo, recently made headlines when she claimed to have suffered a heart attack as a result of trying dry scooping; the 20-year-old said: "I never thought this would happen to me. Especially because I'm still so young."

Bridget Benellam, a nutrition scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, told BBC News: "There is some evidence that caffeine improves sports performance, but there doesn't seem to be much research on the benefits of these products. However, there is some evidence that caffeine may improve sports performance. Since these studies have typically been conducted in athletes, it is not clear how this relates to the broader population. [The amount of caffeine in these products varies from the equivalent of one cup of filter coffee to more than three cups when brewed according to the manufacturer's instructions.

"Therefore, it is possible to consume more caffeine than the recommended amount, especially if used more than once a day or if only the powder is consumed, and there is a risk of overdose"

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In addition to the cardiac effects, researchers have found that accidentally inhaling the powder can cause choking, infection, and pneumonia.

Doctor and YouTuber Bernard Hugh posted a video about a patient who was reportedly hospitalized with brain damage after dry scooping an 8-scoop pre-workout. In his video, Hugh explains that "the combination of the large amounts of caffeine and beta-phenylethylamine in the 8-scoop pre-workout, swallowed all at once while lifting heavy loads, may have increased (the patient's) blood pressure and caused his brain to stroke in the form of bleeding."

With these things in mind, we certainly recommend not dry scooping. If you want to use protein powder shakes as part of your fitness routine, here are some of the best protein shakers.

We also have some great exercises for people who sit around all day. In addition, we have workout advice for losing belly fat, resistance band workouts you can do anywhere, and Tabata workouts.