Tik Tok’s “dry scooping” trend spurs calls for pre-workout powder warning labels

11 Oct 2021 --- Researchers from the Cohen Children’s Medical Center are urging regulators in the food industry to help fight the “dry scooping” trend taking off on Tik Tok.

Teenage users of the social media platform are putting a scoop of undiluted pre-workout powder into their mouth followed by a few sips of water or liquid. Videos with the hashtag #dryscooping total more than 8 million views.

“The findings in our study show that even though pre-workout supplements have been used for a long time, the virality of this new method of pre-workout powder consumption may necessitate regulators in the food industry to make explicit warning labels on pre-workout products,” Duy Pham, contributing study author and developmental and behavioral pediatrics visiting scholar at Cohen Children’s Medical Center tells NutritionInsight.

“Moreover, medical professionals and parents alike should be aware of this trend and provide their patients or children with the necessary health recommendations.”

The most immediate hazard in dry scooping is choking on the dry powder. Inhalation of the powder can cause damage to the respiratory tract and lungs. In addition, the product contains a large amount of caffeine, which can lead to cardiac problems including abnormal heart rhythms and even cardiac arrest, he adds.

The study abstract was presented at the 2021 American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition.The improper use of pre-workout supplements poses risks to children such as respiratory or cardiovascular distress or death.

Raising awareness
Pre-workouts are supplements advertised to enhance athletic performance, but they often contain ingredients unsuitable for children. Typically, pre-workout supplements are sold in powder form, intended to be combined with water and consumed as a drink.

Considering its popularity, the Tik Tok dry scooping trend may mislead millions of minors into improper use of pre-workout, which could lead to respiratory or cardiovascular distress or death.

“Influencers have an enormous impact on society, especially on impressionable youth. When an individual with a large following advertises a product or demonstrates a behavior, it can reach millions of people quickly. This can lead to an increase in purchasing of particular products, such as foods, diet products and pre-workout supplements,” details Pham.

Analyzing dry scooping trend and “likes” 
The researchers collected 100 TikTok videos under the hashtag “#preworkout” and analyzed the number of likes, method of ingestion, number of servings and combination with other substances.

When excluding videos that did not show consumption, the researchers found that 86% depicted improper pre-workout use while 14% illustrated use according to instructions.

The most popular substances consumed alongside pre-workout were energy drinks, creatine or protein powder, and alcohol. Of the 100 videos analyzed, the cumulative number of likes was over 259 million and ranged from 112,300 to 1.7 million per video.The food industry is urged to make explicit warning labels on pre-workout products.

The results also showed that 11% of the Tik Tok videos featured users improperly concentrating or mixing the pre-workout (totaling 2,399,400 likes), and 7% featured users consuming pre-workout through other dangerous methods (totaling 1,721,200 likes).

“We chose TikTok as the social media platform for this study as its users were predominantly teenagers and adolescents, who might be easily influenced by viral content and might be misled by inaccurate and potentially harmful portrayals of pre-workout consumption,” adds Pham.

“The popularity of these videos indicates to us that there is a lack of awareness of the potential health risks associated with dry scooping,” he concludes.

Social media’s influence on nutrition
Innova Market Insights pegged “Age of the Influencer” as one of its 2021 trends. Tik Tok has shaped a host of food trends, including cloud bread and dalgona coffee. However, two in five global consumers do not believe influencers and vloggers are honest about the products they promote.

Previously, NutritionInsight reported on a Safefood study that found that Twitter diet discussions are being led by influencers who are non-health professionals. This is due to an active presence on social media that is lacking from health professionals.

By Nicole Kerr