A personal trainer died after accidentally consuming the equivalent of up to 200 cups of coffee, according to reports.
UK father-of-two Tom Mansfield, 29, ingested up to 5 grams (0.2 ounces) of caffeine powder due to a miscalculated measurement.
According to BBC News, an inquest into Mansfield's death last week heard that on January 5, 2021, the 29-year-old died from an overdose after downing a drink containing the deadly levels of caffeine.
Coroner John Gittins told the inquest that Mansfield had been aiming for the "mid-range of the recommended dose", but "got his maths wrong" when measuring the powder, per BBC.
The father-of-two, from Colwyn Bay, Wales, had purchased a 100g bag of caffeine powder from Blackburn Distributions, a British sports supplements company.
In a statement read to the hearing, the company's director, Ben Blackburn, said the powder - which is typically used by gym-goers to boost their energy levels - should be weighed to two decimal places in milligrams and the recommended dosage is between 60 and 300mg of powder, up to twice a day.
But the inquest heard that Mansfield's kitchen scales had a weighing range from 2 to 5000 grams, and the product did not come with a measuring scoop. Due to his miscalculation, he accidentally measured out 5g of the powder for his beverage.
After downing the drink, Mansfield began clutching his chest and complaining that his heart was beating rapidly. Minutes later, the personal trainer started foaming at the mouth, prompting his wife to call an ambulance. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him for 45 minutes before pronouncing him dead at Glan Clwyd Hospital in Denbighshire, Wales.
An autopsy discovered that Mansfield had caffeine levels of 392mg per litre of blood at the time of his death - a standard filter coffee produces 2 to 4mg per litre.
The cause of death was ruled as caffeine toxicity.
According to the coroner, Mansfield would likely still be alive today if the product had come with a scoop, which provides the correct amount of product.
Gittins added that he had been "massively reassured" that Blackburn Distributions now provides a scoop with its brand of caffeine powder. The company has also provided more detailed usage instructions on the packaging and increased the prominence of potential side effects, he said.
In his statement, Blackburn noted that scales for weighing such small amounts can also be purchased.