Gabriel Vergani via Getty Images/EyeEm Pre-workout powders shouldn't be consumed neat. Public service announcement: do not eat pre-workout powders neat. A 20-year-old who ended up having a heart attack after ‘dry scooping’ has warned others against doing the same. The bizarre fitness trend sees people consuming a scoop of dry pre-workout powder before exercising – rather than diluting it with water – to get it into the bloodstream faster. The powder is often packed with caffeine to give you a pre-workout boost, as well as other ingredients such as beta alanine, amino acids and creatine. Half a scoop can contain up to 200mg caffeine – which means a full, undiluted scoop could cause problems.