Doctors Have Warned About The Dangers Of Dry Shovel Training.
Key Sentence:
- Doctors have warned of a dangerous pre-workout trend called dry spooning that some gym-goers are doing.
- This also includes consuming powdered additives cleanly instead of diluting them in water, as recommended by manufacturers for making beverages.
You scan TikTok and count millions of likes. Pre-workout powders are usually high in amino acids, vitamins, and other ingredients like caffeine.
The idea is to strengthen the body before exercising to increase endurance, although its science is unstable. However, there are some risks from taking too many stimulants. For example, large doses of caffeine can cause heart side effects such as palpitations and extra or missed strokes.
These strokes can "cause blood pressure and heart rate to increase, potentially leading to abnormal heart rhythms." And accidentally, inhaling dust in the lungs can cause shortness of breath, infection, or pneumonia. In the UK, products are regulated as food and not medicine but must be considered safe for consumption to be sold in stores to anyone over the age of 18.
Some powders sold online may not come from a reputable supplier or contain the ingredients listed on the packaging. Some have been banned because they contain substances such as a synthetic amphetamine called DMAA and a synephrine stimulant.
A recent newspaper article also highlighted the dangers after a 20-year-old influential figure on social media in the United States named Briatni Portillo reported that she was suspected of having a heart attack attributed to dry sweeping.
Heart failure in students linked to "overloaded" energy drinks
An American teen dies after drinking caffeine too fast, coroner says. The researchers analyzed 100 videos posted on TikTok's social media channels and used the hashtag "pre-workout" for their search.
Only eight of them indicated that the powder was used correctly.
More than 30 served dry spoons, with participants popping a spoonful of pure powder in their mouths, followed by a few sips of water or liquid. They amassed more than eight million likes. The researchers warned in their presentation at a meeting of the American Academy of Pediatrics, "Physicians should be aware of the prevalence of pre-training, harmful methods of consumption, and possible overuse, inhalation, and accidental injury."
British Nutrition Foundation nutritionist Bridget Benelam says, "Pre-workout powders usually contain caffeine along with other ingredients like creatine, amino acids, and vitamins. However, these studies are usually done on athletes, so it's not clear how relevant this is to the wider population."
"The caffeine content of this product ranges from about one to more than three cups of filter coffee when made according to the manufacturer's instructions. "So there's a risk of overconsumption of caffeine, especially if it's used more than once a day or if you're only taking powders that allow you to ingest more than the recommended amount."