CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Doctors are issuing an urgent warning about a new TikTok challenge called "dry-scooping" after it may have given one woman a heart attack.
Experts say this dangerous new trend — where people take a shot of dry pre-workout powder — can have serious effects and is nothing to play around with.
Let's connect the dots.
Here's the first issue. These so-called "pre-workout" protein mixes aren't regulated by the FDA. Doctors say a single scoop can have three or four times as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.
Normally, you'd never get that much in just one sitting, but with dry-scooping, it's going straight into your bloodstream all at once.
That can cause way more than just your typical caffeine jitters. It can jack up your blood pressure or even cause a heart attack. Doctors say it's best to follow the directions on the packaging and mix it with water or milk do it doesn't make you sick.
Another concern doctors have with dry-scooping is that inhaling the powder into your throat and lungs could give you pneumonia or an infection. That's why there were so many warnings about the "cinnamon challenge" a few years ago.
Contact Ruby Durham at rdurham@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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