Preworkout Supplement Induced Hemorrhagic Stroke: A Case Report

Abstract

Hemorrhagic stroke is a catastrophic cause of both long-term morbidity and mortality. Many risk factors for development of these strokes are in fact preventable or modifiable in nature. This case report outlines an incident involving a previously healthy 24-year-old man with no apparent risk factors apart from consumption of preworkout supplementation who developed a hemorrhagic stroke. The supplements that this particular patient was consuming included various potential causative agents—with the most significant being Dendrobium extract, which contains compound B-phenylethylamine, a precursor in the amphetamine formation pathway. This case study highlights the potential correlation between the consumption of preworkout supplementation and occurrence of hemorrhagic stroke, as well as the implications of understanding potential effects of the constituent ingredients in commercially available preworkout supplements.