“Dry scooping” is a trend popularized by social media influencers in which a dry scoop of pre-workout is consumed, directly. (You can also dry scoop a scoop of protein powder, but that’s not as common.) Instead of mixing the powder with water, you put it directly in your mouth and then drink a little water to wash it. Before you try this at home, know that this trend is downright dangerous.
So even if you are tempted to try it, don’t. Read on to find out what can happen if you take a “dry spoon” before training instead of mixing it with water as the instructions recommend.
Why are people dry picking?
More people than ever are buying dry goods because it has gained popularity on social media.
A study from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that video demonstrations of dry extraction on TikTok have gained more than eight million visits. When researchers looked at 100 videos posted under #preworkout on TikTok, they found that only eight percent showed that people took pre-workout as directed.
But people who follow the fitness community on Instagram know that scoop drying has been around for a while. Popular «fit-stagrammers» have posted videos of them taking pre-workout dry measurements before working out.
How dangerous is dry picking?
Trying to dry pre-workout powder carries serious risks. When these dietary supplements are taken in powder form rather than mixed with water, “they can, and probably will, be inhaled directly into the lungs,” he warns. John R. Windle, MDprofessor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Nebraska.
Unlike certain medications formulated to be absorbed through the lungs, «powders contain many additional substances that are not absorbed,» Windle explains. These additional substances “can cause dangerous bronchospasm (asthma) and potentially permanent lung damage.”
The “cinnamon challenge,” in which people on social media attempted to ingest dried spoonfuls of cinnamon, had similar risks.
However, Windle wants to put that risk in perspective. “As with everything, quantity matters,” he says. He explains that there is no need to go to the doctor if you accidentally inhale some dust that remains in the air «unless you start breathing hard.»
But if you try to take a dry scoop of pre-workout and inhale while doing so, you should call poison control or seek medical attention.
Even if nothing life-threatening happens, coughing before a workout is a sure way to derail any workout and sap your energy for the day. (It’s also a guaranteed way to go viral at the gym for all the wrong reasons!)
Too much caffeine can be dangerous
One of the biggest risks of dry mining is what Windle calls the “more must be better” mentality. Many people in these videos consumed more than a level scoop of pre-workout. With caffeine, «there’s a gradual response,» Windle explains. In lower amounts, it can make you feel more focused and energized, but the other end of that spectrum, where large doses are taken, “ends up in toxicity or overdose.”
To put it more practically, the more caffeine you drink, the higher your risk of experiencing side effects. And the side effects of caffeine become more severe with higher doses. Mild side effects include nervousness, facial redness, muscle spasms, irritability, anxiety, and restlessness. But «excessive caffeine “It can cause heart attacks and dangerous heart rhythms,” adds Windle.
But even mild side effects mean you may have taken too much. The pre-workout should leave you feeling focused and ready to take on the workout ahead (and sometimes a little tingly from beta-alanine). If you consume too much caffeine, it can make you less alert during exercise.
There is also no guarantee with most supplements (more on those exceptions later) that the caffeine content listed on the label is what is actually inside the supplement. A study on the caffeine content of different pre-workout powders found that the actual amount in each supplement ranged between 59% to 176% of the amount indicated on the label.
This discrepancy is especially dangerous for people who take more than a tablespoon of these supplements, since they can’t tell if they bought a pre-workout with more caffeine than it says.
Dry extraction has no benefits
In addition to being dangerous (and not enough?), Windle explains that “dry extraction provides no benefits at all.” This is because the contents of the pre-workout are absorbed into a solution, whether it be stomach acids or water. Then you’re adding risk to your pre-workout routine without any potential benefit.
What is the best way to take a pre-workout supplement?
Start by purchasing pre-workout from a brand you can trust. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, that means you might want to start with half a scoop of pre-workout no matter what brand you try. Incorporating this trial period gives you some leeway if there is more caffeine in the pre-workout than the label indicates. You can measure its effects with half a tablespoon to see if it is enough for your needs.
You may also want to try a new pre-workout for a morning workout rather than an evening workout. No matter what time of day you take it, you should take the pre-workout 30 to 45 minutes before starting your workout.
But once you’ve found a brand you can trust (that ideally contains the most effective ingredients for pre-workout supplements) and given it a trial period, follow the instructions on how and when to take it. If the label says to mix it with water, do so. You can reduce the amount of water if the liquid is too much to ingest before exercise, but you should still dilute it with water.
If you want to make your pre-workout more portable, Energize Beachbody Performance – which is Informed Sport certified and contains no synthetic colors or artificial sweeteners or flavors – comes in single-serving packets that you can take with you.
Or you can use it to whip up a batch of homemade gummies before your workout. They only require 15 minutes of prep time and provide energy in perfect portions so you can simply grab a serving and get ready for work.
Above all, no matter what pre-workout you take, always follow the instructions!
