SPECIAL FEATURES:
Email
London Marathon runner died after using supplement
Coroner says the amphetamine-like stimulant DMAA, which was in the Jack3d she added to her water, was a factor in Claire Squires' acute cardiac failure.
Wed, Jan 30 2013 at 5:30 PM
The young woman's boyfriend, Simon van Herrewege, urging for better supervision of the supplements industry. (Photo: Snapshot/BBC)
In the final stretch of the 26.2 miles of the London Marathon last April, 30-year-old runner Claire Squires collapsed and died. At an inquest Wednesday, Squires’ boyfriend Simon van Herrewege said she had included a scoop of the supplement Jack3d in her water bottle, which she intended to drink from if she felt her energy lagging.
“She said she was going to take one scoop, as recommended. In her own words: 'If I hit a bit of a wall, I might take this drink and see if it pushes me through the end of the marathon,'" van Herrewege said.
Jack3d contained the amphetamine-like stimulant DMAA (1,3-dimethylamylamine), which has been linked to psychiatric disorders, heart attacks and strokes.
Coroner Dr. Philip Barlow said Squires, “had taken a supplement containing DMAA which, on the balance of probabilities, in combination with extreme physical exertion, caused acute cardiac failure, which resulted in her death.”
Although banned now, DMAA was legal for sale at the time. Squires purchased the sports nutrition supplement — which was advertised as workout aid or a weight-loss supplement that boosted energy, concentration and metabolism — online.
In August 2012, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) advised people not to consume products containing the stimulant. It said DMAA could be fatal and linked it with high blood pressure, nausea, cerebral hemorrhage and stroke. DMAA is also listed on packaging as geranium extract, geranamine, methylhexanamine and 4-methylhexane-2-amine. DMAA was banned by the U.S. Army following the deaths of two soldiers who had taken it.
"My hope is that the coverage of this case and the events leading up to Claire's death will help publicize the potentially harmful effects of DMAA during extreme exertion," said van Herrewege.
Squires, a hairdresser from North Kilworth, was running in memory of her brother and had aimed to raise $700 for charity with the run. Following her death, donations soared to more than $1.5 million in her name.
Related stories on MNN:
You might also like:
Sign in with one of these accounts to add your comment.
AsoakhiR
Jan 31 2013 at 2:00 PM
I'm extremely remorseful on her loss, although...
It is really vital that you note that she previously had an irregular heartbeat, which was found by her acupuncture therapist. She put this through her family and friends.
If she used the ingredient label, which is clearly placed on sites like http://jack3d.org, she in no way would have used it anyway.
In fact, she shouldn't have already been on *any* supplements or stimulants unless she had her physician's approval due to her medical
.... More
problem.
A supplement shouldn't be given blame if the label obviously states for folks like it to not be used by people like her.
Once again, I'm deeply sorry for her great loss, however a complete industry shouldn't taken down because of her misuse.
- Log in or register to post comments
- Report This Post
EDITORS' PICKS
Advertisement
TODAY'S MOST POPULAR ON
- 15 famous people who mysteriously disappeared
- Justin Bieber will lose his monkey at midnight
- 10 false facts most people think are true
- The 9 nastiest things in your supermarket
- 13 natural remedies for the ant invasion
- Stone Age people may have battled against a zombie apocalypse
- 12 best new features of the Samsung Galaxy S4
- 20 ways to reuse coffee grounds, tea leaves
- Jon Stewart explains the ‘Monsanto Protection Act’
- 15 houseplants to improve indoor air quality
From our sponsor
NEWSLETTER
Advertisement
Join the conversation