25-year-old mother of two, Meegan Hefford, was planning to compete in a bodybuilding contest in Australia, taking place in September 2017.
In order to stand a chance in the competition, she had to lose a lot of body fat while building substantial muscle.
Therefore, she went on a strict diet, which included consuming large amounts of protein powders.
Meegan wanted to succeed badly, so she pushed herself as hard as she could, working out twice a day, every day. During the summer, her family noticed that Meegan was often tired and hungry.
“I said to her, ‘I think you’re doing too much at the gym,'” her mom told the New York Post. “‘Calm down, slow it down.'”
Ett inlägg delat av • MEEGAN HEFFORD • (@meeganheff)
But Meegan’s condition worsened. Then, in June this year, the 25-year-old was found dead in her apartment.
The autopsy showed that Meegan had suffered from a urea cycle disorder, a disease that prevents the body from breaking down ammonia, a residual product of protein.
In other words, Meegan’s blood had unusually high levels of ammonia, a result of excessive protein consumption.
#omara14 4th place still over the moon!! Running on adrenalin still had so much fun yesterday
Ett inlägg delat av • MEEGAN HEFFORD • (@meeganheff)
With three months left to compete in the competition, Meegan’s life ended abruptly, at just 25 years.
Now her family want to warn others who consume a lot of supplements.
“I know there are people other than Meegan who have ended up in hospital because they’ve overloaded on supplements,” her mother told the New York Post. “The sale of these products needs to be more regulated.”
It ain’t easy being cheesy ✋ #carselfie #dontcare #sunshineafterthestorm
Ett inlägg delat av • MEEGAN HEFFORD • (@meeganheff)
This is an extremely tragic and heartbreaking story.
I think it’s our duty to help share this grieving family’s warning so that others are weary about consuming excessive amounts of protein supplements