Here's the scoop on the "dry scooping" challenge TikTok: it’s not for the faint of heart.
In fact, the death-defying tendency that prompts participants to ingest a mound of undiluted extra energy powder caused a heart attack, a 20-year-old stripper and the star ofOnlyFans, Briatney Portillo.
“I never thought something like this would happen to me one day. Mainly because I'm so young, ”Portillo told the Post.
And while she was having a heart attack in April, first responders didn't think she was in cardiac arrest either.
“The cops and paramedics were like, 'Maybe it's just anxiety because you're about to dance,” recalls Portillo, who worked as a stripper for over a year.
Due to her age and profession, emergency medical technicians initially assumed that she was simply having an anxiety attack triggered by the pressure of having to get naked in front of strangers for money.
“But I'm not afraid to dance,” she added. “At the time, I wasn't sure what my body was going through, but I knew something was wrong. "
A dangerous trend
After weeks of watching digital fitness influencers swallow pre-workout tablespoons - a caffeinated substance not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration that athletes typically mix with water and drink before working out. 'exercise in order to improve their endurance, endurance and concentration - decided Portillo to give it a try.
“A lot of bodybuilders on TikTok were doing it and I was like, 'If they can do it, I can too,'" the Bronx native explained.
The recent “dry scooping” craze is reminiscent of the once viral “cinnamon challenge” craze of 2012, which saw thousands of YouTubers film themselves eating a spoonful of ground cinnamon in less than 60 seconds without water.
At its peak, the challenge - which claimed the life of a 4-year-old boy in Kentucky - garnered more than 70 social media mentions per day.
But for Portillo, who exercises on a weekly basis, the prospect of gaining popularity online was not his motivation to attempt the dry spoon trend.
“It wasn't for the weight,” insisted the exotic dancer. “I didn't even register myself doing it. I just wanted the energy to work.
But after a friend at the gym gave her a scoop of Redcon1's Total War Pre-Workout Powder, she immediately regretted throwing a performance enhancing powder down her throat without water.
“I immediately felt like I was suffocating,” she said. “I couldn't breathe. "
For optimal results, Redcon1 suggests taking a scoop of their Total War pre-workout 30 minutes before strength training with 4 to 6 ounces of water, according to the company's website. One scoop contains around 350 milligrams of caffeine and a plethora of amino acids meant to boost energy.
"It's roughly the equivalent of drinking four cups of regular coffee at a time," George Fernaine, chief of cardiology at NYU Langone-Brooklyn, told The Post. “This acute and heavy consumption of caffeine mixed with an activity that stresses the heart, such as exercise, could be very dangerous. "
Redcon1 did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment.
What followed
“I was coughing a lot,” Portillo said of the aftermath. “I started drinking water but my throat was just extremely dry and my gums were burning. "
Once the choking episode subsided, she began her typical leg workout, doing several repetitions of deadlifts, squats, and hip thrusts with 60-pound weights.
But then, "my whole body started to itch, I started to sweat profusely and I felt nauseous," Portillo said, adding that she hadn't noticed any surge in energy or strength despite the pain. take a concentrated pre-workout sip.
She ignored the "strange" sensations, hoping they would eventually dissipate.
However, as she prepared to take center stage at the strip club within hours of leaving the gym, Portillo began to experience chest pain.
“My chest was very tight and heavy, I started to sweat a lot again and the whole left side of my body was in a lot of pain,” she said.
The strip club manager dialed 9-1-1.
After being rushed to hospital in an ambulance, doctors performed blood tests and an ECG. They determined that Portillo had suffered an NSTEMI heart attack.
The minor heart episode - which in her case was caused by a caffeine overdose - is not usually life threatening.
“I called my mom and she was panicking more than me,” Portillo said. “I felt so stupid to take that stupid challenge and find myself in a hospital bed. "
Healthcare professionals put her on a heparin drip to thin her blood and kept her overnight for observation.
Portillo was released from hospital the next day without having to undergo surgery or be prescribed medication.
Doctors even gave her the green light to take a vacation to Miami that she had planned for the following week. They just told him to avoid caffeine.
Portillo says she will also avoid challenges TikTok from now on.
"It was all really traumatic," she said before warning other young fans of the virtual platform against participating in potentially dangerous trends.
“Don’t do what you see other people doing on TikTok thinking it will make you look cool,” Portillo advised.
“It's not worth risking your health or your life. "
