The newest fitness trend is swallowing pre-workout powder without water, especially on social media. The promise is simple: Pop the powder, get energised faster and push harder through your workout.
But this shortcut comes with a word of caution. Fast-acting stimulants are introduced into the body with dry scooping, which could also lead to choking, digestive problems and cardiovascular problems.
Most pre-workout supplements contain caffeine along with ingredients such as beta-alanine, creatine, amino acids and other compounds. Formulations are pretty different, so effects can vary from one product to another. Caffeine can improve alertness and exercise performance in appropriate doses, but that doesn’t mean that more is better.
A 2025 integrative review of 24 studies found that cardiovascular responses to pre-workout supplements varied depending on ingredients, dosages and the people taking them. The authors stressed the need for more evidence on the safety of these products.
Dry scooping can make it worse because you're swallowing a lot of powder at once. This can cause jitters, nausea, anxiety, stomach upset and a rapid or pounding heartbeat, especially in those sensitive to caffeine or those already drinking coffee, tea or energy drinks.
While exercising, please be mindful of your heart. Stimulants can increase heart rate and blood pressure, and vigorous exercise puts an extra burden on the cardiovascular system. In 2024, a case of heart attack in a young man was reported after using a pre-workout supplement by dry scooping. This one case report does not show that dry scooping caused the event, but it does highlight why it should not be assumed to be automatically safe.
Another, more pressing concern is the powder itself. A dry scoop is particularly difficult to swallow and can cause coughing, gagging, or accidental inhalation into the airway. It can also irritate the oesophagus and stomach. A 2023 case report described severe oesophageal injury in physicians after dry scooping a multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement. These reports are rare, but they do indicate that the practice can cause more than a passing discomfort.
Does dry scooping pre-workout powder really improve your performance?
There is no evidence that taking a pre-workout powder dry is a better performance enhancer than taking the product as directed. Some users experience a sudden 'rush', which may be due to rapid exposure to caffeine and other stimulants rather than an improvement in exercise capacity. For those who decide to use pre-workout supplements, a few precautions make sense.
-Mix the product as directed on the manufacturer's instructions rather than swallowing the powder dry.
-Look at the caffeine content and add it to any other caffeine you will consume during the day.
-Try not to combine a few products that have stimulants in them. Finally, check for products that do not clearly state the amount of individual ingredients or use proprietary blends.
Anyone with heart disease, high blood pressure, recurrent palpitations or who takes medication on a regular basis should talk to a doctor about stimulant-containing supplements before using them.
And some symptoms should never be shrugged off as “just the pre-workout” — chest pain, fainting, severe breathlessness or a sustained racing or irregular heartbeat during or after exercise require urgent medical attention.
Some people may find pre-workout supplements helpful for exercise, but they are not necessary for a good workout. Good hydration, proper nutrition, adequate sleep and a well-designed training programme are still the bedrock of performance.
The allure of dry scooping is clear. It appears fast, intense, and efficient. But with stimulants and exercise, faster is not always good. One spoonful of powder is still a supplement, not a shortcut to fitness. And sometimes, the best way to tackle a fitness trend is to not tackle it at all.
(The author is a consultant physician (internal medicine) at HOSMAT Hospital)
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK.
