Is Dry Scooping Dangerous?

On TikTok, some people take their workout powder without water before they exercise. By swallowing a scoop of their powder sans water before hitting the weights, these fitness fans claim they get boosted energy levels during their workout—and, ideally, their health gains after.

Pre-workout supplements, or “pre-workouts,” have skyrocketed in popularity. Taken before exercise, pre-workout is advertised to improve athletic performance and increase energy and focus. A recent study found that as many as one in five teen boys and young men are using dry scooping.

But medical experts say there's no proof that the practice of “dry scooping” actually works and that the workout trend can be dangerous.

Alexis Gray, MS, LAT, ATC, a Franciscan Health Sports Medicine Athletic Trainer at North Central High School in Indianapolis, discusses the dry scooping trend and taking pre-workouts could actually hurt.

Key Takeaways: Dry Scooping Safety

• Dry scooping involves consuming pre-workout powder without water and can increase risk of choking or digestive irritation.
• Taking supplements without adequate fluid may amplify stimulant effects.
• This practice can lead to nausea, dizziness or heart palpitations.
• Always mix supplements with water and follow label directions to ensure safe intake.

What Is Dry Scooping?

“Dry scooping is a social media trend in which fitness influencers, and your average gym goers are taking pre-workout powder without mixing it with the recommend 8 to 12 ounces of water,” Gray said. “The TikTok dry scooping challenge is prevalent among fitness influencers.”

Gray says the dry scooping challenge mirrors other pre-workout fitness trends and challenges she’s seen in the past.

“The challenge consists of taking one scoop of dry pre-workout powder and trying to swallow it, without drinking water, resulting in coughing and choking much like the cinnamon challenge prevalent on social media in 2012. As I am an avid TikTok consumer the challenge has changed over time to simply taking the dry pre-workout and swishing it around with a gulp of water. I have seen several fitness influencers dry scooping. My fyp or ‘for you page’ is fitness-dense, and there is more often than not someone dry scooping in the fitness related TikTok videos on my feed.” 

Dry scooping has been shown online with a variety of methods, such as pouring the powder, undiluted, in your mouth, dipping the powder in ice pops, swishing the powder with a sip of liquid, snorting the powder, and packing the powder in your lip like chewing tobacco.

Why Is Dry Scooping Trendy?

Gray said many fitness influencers are trying dry scooping for an energy boost as well as performance enhancements, such as increased strength gains. Some of the pre-workout supplements also include caffeine. 

Why is Dry Scooping Dangerous?

Medical experts note two dangerous concerns to using dry scooping before a workout: inhalation of the powder and the high amounts of caffeine in some products.

“Dry scooping is dangerous because ingesting the dry powder without water causes people to choke or cough, thus causing the particles of the powder to be inhaled,” Gray said. “This can potentially cause infection or inflammation in the lungs.”

Additionally, some pre-workout powders can pack the caffeine punch of chugging three cups of coffee.

“Pre-workout supplements are meant to be dissolved in 8 to 12 ounces of water,” Gray said.
“By dry scooping, the powder causes a rush of caffeine through your system rather than the gradual sipping of the pre-workout dissolved in water, as instructed. In this instance the increased rush of caffeine can increase heart-related issues, such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, as well irregular heartbeat or even a heart attack which has been documented.”