A cautionary tale has emerged from Australia over the last week that will raise the eyebrows of anyone who regularly makes protein shakes or takes caffeine supplements before or after working out.
Lachlann Foote was a 21-year-old aspiring Australian musician who tragically died in the early hours of New Year's Day this year. He'd been celebrating New Year's Eve with his friends and took a protein shake when arriving home to fight off a hangover.
"I think my protein powder has gone off. Just made an anti hangover / workout shake and it tasted awful," he messaged friends.
He was later found passed out on his bathroom floor and would sadly die.
Lachlann's shocked family has been working under the suspicion that Foote had died from taking gone-off protein powder (even if there were rumours in his town he had overdosed on drugs) but Lachlann's father Nigel has revealed on Facebook that the initial findings from his post-mortem claim that his son died from 'cafffeine toxicity'.
According to his father, Lachlann had likely been given an over-the-counter caffeine powder from a friend unaware of its strength. Lachlann had then added to to that protein shake. A teaspoon of that powder can pack the caffeine punch of '25-50 cups of coffee' so Nigel's advice was clear: "a teaspoon is lethal"
“Please warn your friends, talk to your children and perhaps check your kitchen cupboards."
You can read all of Nigel's emotive Facebook post here.
It just one case, but it's an important and very sad reminder to read the warning instructions on any supplements you take.
