Another day, another TikTok 'health trend' that, to be frank, is pretty silly – this time around it seems social media users are trying 'dry scooping'. Never heard of it? We hadn't either, until videos showing gym goers swallowing pre-workout energy powder down, then chasing it with water, as opposed to using it properly and mixing with liquid beforehand.
Such powders typically contain caffeine, to kickstart and energise the fitness fan ahead of their workout, as well as helping with focus, mental clarity and assist with muscle growth.
Generally, those who've tried the trend walk away unharmed, but doctors are now speaking out against dry scooping a pre or post-workout protein powder, especially as two TikTok users have posted follow-up videos saying it had a drastic impact on their health.
One user, who has the handle @brivtny, shared a video of herself with a clown filter on from a hospital bed, claiming that she had a heart attack after trying the trend:
Obviously we don't know if the heart attack was medically linked to dry scooping, but regardless, Dr Reyan Saghir explains why he most definitely would not recommend giving it a go. Speaking to Cosmopolitan exclusively, Dr Saghir breaks down what dry scooping actually is, and why it's not the brightest idea.
"The thought behind this trend was that ingesting the dry powder alone can provide an increased and more concentrated pre-workout boost to overall enhance your strength, stamina and endurance when undertaking a strenuous and active session," he says.
Everyone's clicking on...
Dr Saghir adds, "However, dry scooping can be very dangerous and unhealthy for numerous reasons... [Having a heart attack] is an extreme effect of dry scooping but explainable, as with many pre-workout powders the key ingredient to provide that ‘extra kick’ is caffeine. In one scoop, you could be ingesting the equivalent to three cups of coffee."
Following on, Dr Saghir then says that instead of having the caffeine paced over even a few minutes or an hour, by dry scooping you're ingesting this high dose within seconds.. "This then triggers an ‘adrenaline’ like effect on the body with the amount and intensity of contractions on the heart increasing significantly, placing it under much strain. This, even for a normal healthy heart, is dangerous, but for somebody with a previous heart condition? It could be fatal."
Mixing the pre-workout powder with water, however, would mean you’re more likely to spread this high dose over your workout reducing the burden on the heart.
"With heart attacks being the most significant side-effect of a high dose of caffeine, other more common symptoms people might experience include dizziness, headaches, dehydration, nausea and palpitations," he adds – which again, doesn't exactly sound pleasant tbh. "Dry scooping also poses a major choking risk, by ingesting a whole powder with only the minimal saliva in the mouth the powder can clump and is very likely to enter the airways. Once there it could restrict breathing and what once seemed like a ‘fun challenge’ suddenly becomes very serious."
Noted.
Cosmopolitan UK's July/August issue is on sale on 10th June and available for purchase online.
Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
