What Actually Killed Rich Piana, An Expert’s Opinion

The tragic death of Rich Piana has rocked the bodybuilding world in a way that no one could have anticipated. For many Rich Piana have been a controversial figure but he was loved by friends, family, and thousands of fans around the world.

“How Rich Piana died is still under investigation.”

And while mystery still surrounds what actually killed social media star, people are weighing in with their own opinions.

Recently In an interview with UK’s Daily Star Online fitness & martial arts expert, Matt Fiddes shares his opinion that Piana might not have eaten enough sugars to balance insulin he may have taken before a photo-shoot.

On the day of the incident, Piana and his girlfriend Chanel Jansen were on a photoshoot. And to get into the perfect shape for this shoot, Rich would have most likely got a pump on.

Fiddes said:

“He would naturally take a pre-workout and then get to the photo shoot, do some press ups, some curls, get his body in condition and then come home.”

Fiddes believes Piana would have combined the pre-workout substance with insulin to perfect his appearance.

It’s common for athletes to take insulin and Rich Piana himself posted a YouTube video four years ago, in which he talked about the perils of taking insulin for novices but praised its effectiveness.

He said: “The thing is insulin works.

“It definitely works and does what is supposed to do.

“And it is dangerous but as long as you know what you are doing, everything can be fine.

“If you know what you are doing it is not dangerous, as long as you are taking the sugar which is necessary to match up the insulin you are taken.”

But this is where things likely went wrong for Piana according to Fiddes.

He said: “They have to eat enough sugar to balance the insulin just like a diabetic would, otherwise they will go into a coma and die.

“If the photoshoot dragged on a little bit he may not have eaten enough sugars to balance what insulin he would have taken?”

“He would have to keep an eye on his sugars every three or four hours.”

A member of the British Pharmacological Society, Julien Baker speaking with Daily Star also warned of the danger of insulin:

“If you don’t take the right diet or eat the right foods when you inject insulin you must take a high sugar diet, otherwise you can slip into a coma.”

“Insulin users who are bodybuilders normally inject about three times a day.”

“This guy was on his way into a diabetic coma, there may also be some kind vascular even taking place as a result of a long-term use of steroids.”

Fiddes says he believes Piana may have made a fatal mistake and simply got the balance wrong.

He added: “In my view, he took a pre-workout substance, too much to create this pump and his heart’s gone crazy.

“He’s effectively had a workout by getting a pump for the photo shoot and he’s on insulin so he’s not taken the right sugars.

He’s got home, he’s exhausted and he just simply fell into a diabetic coma which is extremely common in athletes.”

That ultimately lead him to slip into a diabetic coma.

TMZ Sports reported: It appears that paramedics found crushed white powder on his table along with a credit card and a straw upon entering his home.

Fiddes believes it would have also contained ECA, a powerful pre-workout drug cocktail that may also have endangered his health.

Fiddes added: “It will give a crazy rush of energy, an insane amount of power and it will make the workout 20 to 30 times more powerful.”

It consists of ephedrine, a synthetic form of adrenaline that used in the medical & emergency situations to restart hearts.

This is combined with caffeine and aspirin, that allows the blood to absorb the substances very quickly and numbs workout pain.

Fiddes said: “He liked to snort it to get the immediate effect.”

“I watched a video, and he’s putting scoops of the stuff in his drink. It would be quite unrealistic that a man in incredible shape all year round is not taking it.”

Rich Piana died nearly three weeks after placed in a medically induced coma following a medical emergency at his home in Florida. He was 46.

Regardless of whether you loved or hated him, the loss of life will leave a void to his family, friends, and fans across the world.  Rich Piana was a true icon and inspiration to many in the bodybuilding community.

R.I.P.