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Pharmacist's alarming warning about popular gym habit that could trigger deadly heart attack
A pharmacist has urged gym-goers to avoid popular pre-workout powders due to the severe damage they could do to your heart.
Many supplements that claim to boost energy and exercise performance contain extremely high quantities of caffeine.
This can, over time, increase blood pressure to dangerous levels and trigger heart rhythm abnormalities, according to Ireland-based drug expert, Lauren O'Reilly.
In a recent video posted to her TikTok that has amassed over 82,000 views, Ms Reilly said she 'wouldn't touch' the powders.
'They contain over 300mg [of caffeine] per scoop or per serving, which is the same as having three cups of coffee all at once,' she warned.
This instant hit can leave you feeling 'super anxious with jitters and heart palpitations'.
Palpitations, she explained, show 'how much pressure all of that caffeine at once is putting on your heart, your vascular system, increasing blood pressure.
'Over time this can do real damage.'
Experts have long warned of the dangers of high doses of caffeine, particularly for those with underlying heart rhythm problems that may be undiagnosed.
Caffeine results in the release of hormones that increase heart rate and blood pressure.
In some vulnerable individuals, this can lead to atrial fibrillation, a condition where the heart beats rapidly and irregularly, increasing the risk of a deadly heart attack or heart failure.
The pharmacist's warning follows last year's alert from the Government's Food Standards Agency regarding the safety of caffeinated workout supplements.
The body warned of the dangers of the 'extremely potent' products, after the death of a 29 year-old man who suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after miscalculating the his dose of caffeine powder.
Personal trainer Thomas Mansfield died in January 2021 within hours of 'necking' a mixture that contained seven times the recommended daily dose of caffeine.
Minutes after drinking the supplement mix he began 'frothing at the mouth' and 'clutching at his chest'.
An inquest heard that Mr Mansfield, of Colwyn Bay, North Wales, had mistakenly taken nearly 16 times the recommended maximum dose listed on the packet.
'The dose he took was the equivalent of up to 200 cups of coffee,' said the FSA in its warning.
Concerningly, they added that a survey found less than half of people look for dosage instructions on supplements.
In the latest warning, pharmacist Lauren O'Reilly pointed out that the small print on products often advises 'for occasional only'.
She added: 'People take these all the time and these are so so dangerous.
'And look you'll see loads of warnings there. So, yeah, these are a massive no from me.'
Instead, she said eating a banana 30 minutes before your workout will leave you feeling 'plenty of pump'.
The FSA recommends consuming no more than 400mg each day of caffeine, which is the equivalent to roughly four cups of coffee.
In 2023, several lawsuits were launched in the US against fast food joint Panera Bread over the allegedly harmful effect of its highly caffeinated 'Charged Lemonade' drink.
A 28 year-old Rhode Island woman took legal action against the chain, alleging the beverage left her with long-term heart problems.
Lauren Skerritt, an athlete, drank two-and-a-half Charged Lemonades at a Panera location in Greenville, Rhode Island, in April 2022, according to the lawsuit.
After drinking the lemonade, Skerritt allegedly experienced new episodes of palpitations and dizziness.
Scans later showed that she was suffering atrial fibrillation.
It followed the tragic death of a 21-year-old Pennsylvania college student in the US, who according to court documents, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest after consuming the lemonade—which contained 390mg of caffeine.
Ms Katz suffered a serious heart rhythm condition called long QT syndrome, which causes the heart to beat irregularly (arrhythmia).
She was diagnosed with the condition aged five and had managed it with medication and limiting caffeine, according to documents written by lawyers representing her parents.
Dr Stuart Fischer, an internal medicine physician in New York, told that caffeine can eliminate the vital breaks in between heart beats for people with long QT syndrome.
'Patients with this condition needs a little bit longer than usual to reboot after the heart muscle has contracted.'
Caffeine, he explains, speeds up the beating pattern, placing too much stress on the already stretched organ.
'If there is too much activity when the muscle needs to relax, it can be potentially fatal or at least a major medical emergency.'
Dr Fischer added that just 100mg of caffeine, which is the same as a large cup of coffee, could be enough to trigger a deadly attack.
