Dry Scooping Trend on Tiktok Is Dangerous; Experts Explain Why

TikTok is already chock-full of gym tricks and training videos, but it turns out that the new gym craze of dry scooping is actually quite dangerous.

After trying the TikTok trend and ending up in the hospital, a woman claimed dry scooping caused her to have a heart attack.

@menanadosdry scoop and get hyped w me cus we going to the gym ♬ Shake That Ass - J.Earl

Briatney Portillo said she tried dry scooping and felt tingling and itchy at first. Still, after doing some research, she discovered that this was a common adverse effect. She felt a heavy feeling in her chest as she resumed her workout, but she attempted to ignore it. According to Business Insider, Portillo drank a pre-workout supplement with 320 milligrams of coffee, equal to about three cups.

"I started to feel a heavy feeling in my chest and slight pain, but it wasn't too bad. I thought it was maybe anxiety or a bad panic attack, so I decided to just ignore it and push through my workout," Portillo told Buzzfeed.

She also told Buzzfeed that she began to feel hot although it was cold in the locker room. Even though she was wearing a bikini, she began to sweat profusely and became wet. Her chest ache returned, but this time it was more severe.

Portillo back and left arm were both hurting. Her left arm also turned a little limp. She said she knows of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. As a result, she dialed 911 and an ambulance was arrived.

Thousands of individuals on TikTok have tried to dry scoop and film the results due to Briatney's experience, with the linked hashtags receiving over 400,000 views.

But what is dry scooping, exactly? Everything you need to know is right here.

What is Dry Scooping? Where Did It Start?

Dry scooping is consuming a dry scoop of pre-workout powder. Refinery29 said it's a supplement containing amino acids, B vitamins, large doses of caffeine, creatine, and beta-alanine. To dilute the contents, most of these performance-enhancing supplements should be taken with 6-8 ounces of water before use.

The trend isn't entirely new; it's only just spread to TikTok, where it's been seen by millions of people. According to Health.com, people have started dry scooping in recent years to gain a more focused surge of energy before an exercise. In addition, several Reddit forums on the subject have been active for months, with some dating back several years.

Dry Scooping Is Dangerous, Experts Warn

Dry scooping isn't precisely new, But because TikTok made it popular, doctors are now warning against it.

Dr. Nicole Harkin, a cardiologist in San Francisco, told BuzzFeed the pre-workout often contains much caffeine. Aside from protein, it contains artificial colorings, sweeteners, and emulsifiers.

Harkin believes that taking such a huge dose all at once could be harmful to health. It causes a significant increase in heart rate and blood pressure. The same BuzzFeed report also claimed there's also the risk of choking on the powder. It happened to one TikTok user who tried it and needed her inhaler right away after experienced difficulty in breathing.

Dr. Daniel Atkinson told the Metro that he was "concerned" about the trend and that the body needs time to absorb protein powder, which can't be accomplished by dry scooping.

According to Atkinson, people should not devour the entire protein powder in one sitting, and you should not do so either. He went on to say that people should give their bodies time to assimilate what they're given.

One of the reasons it's risky to try the trend is the amount of caffeine consumed.

Ingesting a large amount of caffeine in a short time, Atkinson said, can be harmful and dangerous.

He claims that ingesting too much caffeine can result in a variety of side effects. Dilated pupils, increased urination, dizziness, migraines, dehydration, nausea, chest pain, and irregular heartbeats or palpitations are symptoms.

According to Atkinson, the more you consume the protein powder in one sitting, the more at risk you are. This is especially true if you're over the age of 50 or have a history of heart or chest issues.

Another major issue with dry scooping is the act of literally scooping a complete mouthful of dry powder into your mouth. Remember the cinnamon challenge?

For this reason, Atkinson advises against dry scooping. He stated that there is a strong possibility that the powder will clump together when mixed with saliva.

He sees no reason why this shouldn't get stuck in your throat and perhaps compromise breathing. This is incredibly risky for obvious reasons.

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