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Bodybuilder Meegan Hefford (not pictured) appears to have died partly due to consuming excessive protein shakes.
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The INSIDER Summary:
Australian bodybuilder Meegan Hefford died after doctors discovered she had a disorder preventing her from breaking down protein.
The disorder combined with her increased protein intake for her bodybuilding competition resulted in her death.
Doctors say the disorder is rare and is usually discovered during infancy.
A 25-year-old bodybuilder and mother of two, Meegan Hefford was found unconscious in her apartment on June 19 and was pronounced dead two days later. PerthNow reports that the Australian woman's death has been linked to consuming an excessive amount of protein.
A post shared by • MEEGAN HEFFORD • (@meeganheff) on Jan 20, 2017 at 9:21pm PST
Consuming too much protein alone isn't the reason for her death. Hefford also had a rare genetic condition — urea cycle disorder — which wasn't discovered until after she was rushed to Fiona Stanley Hospital. According to PerthNow, this disorder means that her body was unable to break protein down properly, contributing to her death.
Hefford completed a bodybuilding competition in 2014 and was training for a second competition by following a regimented diet and workout plan, in addition to taking supplements. Her mother, Michelle White, was concerned that her daughter was overworking herself.
"I said to her, 'I think you're doing too much at the gym, calm down, slow it down,'" White told PerthNow. White says Hefford looked fine, but complained of feeling "weird" and tired leading up to her death.
Two days after being brought to the hospital, doctors diagnosed Hefford with urea cycle disorder, and she was pronounced brain dead the day after. PerthNow reports that her death certificate lists"intake of bodybuilding supplements" as one of the causes of death in addition to the disorder. INSIDER reached out to Fiona Stanley Hospital, but did not hear back.
A post shared by • MEEGAN HEFFORD • (@meeganheff) on Oct 5, 2014 at 9:34pm PDT
"I couldn't believe what the doctors were telling me, she was dying," White said. "I said, 'You have to give her more time,' because she didn't look sick, she looked beautiful."
INSIDER spoke with Dr. Caroline Apovian, the director of the Nutrition and Weight Management Center at the Boston Medical College, to learn more about urea cycle disorder.
"She had a rare urea cyce disorder, 1 in 35,000 or so people [have the disorder]," she said. "Usually 2 out of 3 [people] present in infancy but some escape diagnosis." Dr. Apovian explained that this rare disorder results in a build up of ammonia in the blood which reaches the brain and causes brain damage, comma, or death.
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Hefford's family is calling for tighter restrictions for the supplement industry. "I know there are people other than Meegan who have ended up in hospital because they've overloaded on supplements," White told PerthNow.
While Hefford was suffering from a rare disorder, her death is a reminder to always check with your doctor before starting a new diet, supplement, or workout regimen.
Emily is a writer and reporter living in New York. She was a Health Writing Intern at INSIDER and is now a freelance writer covering all things health, food, and fitness.She joined INSIDER from the Food Network, where she was a Snapchat Discover intern covering everything food. Before the Food Network, she worked and wrote for HerCampus Media, Spoon University, and Westchester Magazine among other publications.Emily holds a BA from Pace University in Communications.
