Alert for a new viral challenge on TikTok that could cause choking and even heart attacks in young people who practice it

“Dry shovel” It’s been circulating on Reddit for a few months, but it seems to have taken off on the shortened video platform TikTok. The “dry extraction” videos suggest eating a spoonful of energy powder before training without diluting it with water, in order to maximize the effects of amino acids, B vitamins, caffeine and protein. creatine contained in the supplement.

After doing a “dry extraction,” Briatney Portillo, 20, was rushed to hospital for symptoms of a heart attack, as can be seen in the third part of the video above.

“Take a dry spoon before training [porque] I saw it as a trend on TikTok ”, he said in a video posted from his hospital bed. “I ended up in the hospital because I had a ‘heart attack’.”

“After taking the pre-workout, I started to feel tingling and itchy all over my body, which wasn’t a good feeling but i googled it and he said it was a normal side effect so i started doing my workout, ”said Portillo Buzzfeed .

“I started to feel a feeling of heaviness in my chest and a slight pain, but it wasn’t too bad. I thought maybe it was anxiety or a strong panic attack so I decided to ignore it and continue with my training ”, added.

After your workout you felt nauseous and dizzy. She took a shower in the hopes of alleviating the symptoms, then went to work as an exotic dancer.

“In my work locker room, I started to get hot, even though it was cold there (…) I started to sweat a lot and I got soaked while wearing a bikini. Then my chest pain came back and this time it was more intense “he explained. “The pain was in my back and my left arm and left arm were a little soft, so I knew they were symptoms of a heart attack. I called 911 and the ambulance arrived. “

It turned out that Portillo had a type of heart attack known as non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Compared to the more common type of heart attack known as STEMI, An NSTEMI is usually less harmful to the heart because the artery to the heart is not completely blocked.

At the hospital, doctors told her to avoid caffeine and to stop consuming the powder before training. “They said it was okay to exercise within 3-4 days of being hospitalized and start monitoring my heart rate on a Fitbit or smartwatch.”, He said.

What’s in the pre-workout powder?

Knowing for sure what these supplements contain is almost impossible, because, at least in the United States, they are not regulated by the FDA, they can therefore exist of various types and with different components.

“Sure, if someone’s going to take one, and much more if they’re going to take it in a way that’s not how they (the product sponsors) suggest, you must understand that you are taking a riskSays Dr. Joy Gelbman, cardiologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian, speaking to Women’s Health Magazine.

“This big caffeine jerk can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, essentially putting pressure on the heart which can cause this heart enzyme called troponin to be released,” which causes non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), adds Gelbman.

Some pre-workout powder supplements contain up to 250 milligrams of caffeine per tablespoon, about three times the amount in a cup of coffee.

“If you take a high dose of caffeine like this, in addition to any other caffeine you take in your normal daily habits, it can increase your blood pressure or heart rate or cause heart rhythm disturbances, which can be very bad. dangerous for a person. .. otherwise young and in good health ”, said the doctor.

Other risks of “Dry-scooping”

Besides the danger of having a heart attack, “dry-scooping” or “dry extraction” is a great danger of suffocation. “Take a large tablespoon of a powdered substance without water [plantea] the immediate risk of suffocation ”, said Dr Gelbman.

A choking case was also exposed in a TikTok video -the first seen at the beginning of the note- when a young woman stopped breathing after swallowing the spoonful of dry powder. It is not known exactly what happened to this young woman and what was the cause of her notable affectation, but according to the doctor, what appears in the video is a “laryngeal spasm”.

She explains that by inhaling any type of dust, it can be breathed directly into the lungs and cause pneumonia.

The recommendation of all doctors is that before ingesting any substance promoted by social networks, you must have accurate information and consult a doctor to avoid injuring yourself during the attempt.

KEEP READING