People around the world visit TikTok on a regular basis to learn a new tip for the kitchen, a workout trend, or perhaps just to watch some dance videos. Love it or hate it, TikTok is here to stay.

Sometimes, there are trends that circulate on TikTok and people quickly pick up on them. It’s amazing that somebody who doesn’t really know what they are talking about can act like an expert and before long, hundreds or perhaps even thousands of people are listening.

TikTok is used for many purposes, but some people use it to get inspiration before going to the gym. They may even decide to follow one of the trends, and that is what we see in the trend of ‘dry scooping.’

If you go to the gym regularly, you probably either take some protein powder ahead of time or you may know somebody who uses it. Those powders are supposed to be mixed with water or another liquid before they are consumed.

The dry scooping trend on TikTok, however, has people putting the powder into their mouths and swallowing it dry. This may seem like a timesaver, but it is actually a dangerous trend.

How dangerous can it be? One young woman said that she had a heart attack after doing it. Others say they have difficulty breathing after having the dry powder enter their lungs.

One of the potential problems of dry scooping is getting a blast of caffeine at one time. A young woman by the name of Briatney Portillo said that she had a heart attack after dry scooping and she was only 20 years old.

She said: “After I took the pre-workout, I started to feel tingly and itchy all over my body, which wasn’t a good feeling, but I googled it and it said that was a normal side effect. … So I began to do my workout. 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.”

Things progressed from bad to worse after she got lightheaded and later started sweating through her clothes. Her chest pain came back more intensely with pain in her left arm. She knew it was a heart attack so she called 911.

One of the biggest problems with using a pre-workout powder in this way is that you don’t know exactly what you are taking. According to an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Jason Nagata, those powders are not regulated by the FDA.

The doctor went on to say that those powders could be ‘laced with banned substances like stimulants, steroids, and other toxic ingredients. Many of these substances can increase risk for heart attacks, liver disease, and other serious medical complications.’

Portillo is now sounding the warning, saying: “Being 20, I would’ve never assumed I’d get a heart attack from pre-workout. I just want people to be careful with what they’re consuming. Just because you see it online, even if it’s ‘fitness influencers’ doing it, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Being young doesn’t mean we’re invincible.”