Singapore coroner rules 20-year-old bodybuilder’s death accidental

Singapore State Coroner Adam Nakhoda ruled on Oct. 16 that a 20-year-old bodybuilder’s Dec. 22, 2024 death was a substance-related accident after probable dinitrophenol use, CNA reported.

The ruling matters because investigators could not identify a supplier during the inquiry, even after police seized 34 types of medication and substances, compared with no dinitrophenol found among items taken from the youth’s home, CNA reported on Oct. 16.

The bodybuilder, who cannot be named because of gag orders imposed by the coroner’s court, died at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was a polytechnic student and had been preparing for bodybuilding competitions.

His mother questioned in court how he obtained dinitrophenol, which the state coroner said is not permitted for clinical use in Singapore and can be obtained only through illicit channels. Police were unable to unlock the youth’s mobile phone, CNA reported.

"The fact is that there are youth in Singapore who can get such and be given such (illicit drugs) even despite authorities' best efforts, and that would be something that continues to affect our family," the mother said in court, according to CNA. She also said she hoped "that no other life should be lost due to such illicit drugs that continue to be around us".

The mother asked whether her son had been "encouraged" or "made" to take the drug while preparing for competition, saying he was "under tremendous pressure to keep to a certain weight and a physique". After she said she wanted to give police a statement with further evidence, the coroner’s court arranged for her to do so later.

Nakhoda said the inquiry could be reopened if needed to assess additional evidence. Coroner’s inquiries establish the circumstances of a death and do not assign liability. CNA reported that police do not suspect foul play.

The final cause of death was dinitrophenol toxicity. The substance is listed under Singapore’s Poisons Act and is used as a weight-loss agent, but is prohibited because of toxicity concerns. The coroner said it has been banned for human use in the United States since 1938, a prohibition in place for 88 years by 2026, according to Atlas360 calculations.

CNA reported that the youth was hospitalised in the early hours of Dec. 22, 2024, after experiencing heart palpitations, breathing difficulty, feverishness and heavy sweating. His condition worsened in hospital, and resuscitation efforts ended after 40 minutes.

Toxicology tests detected a fatal amount of dinitrophenol after his death. Nakhoda found it probable that the youth had taken the substance shortly before he died, citing its presence in a stomach-contents sample and symptoms consistent with consumption of the drug.

The youth had told hospital staff he had taken "fat burners", though CNA reported there was no evidence the staff knew dinitrophenol was involved. Nakhoda said it remained uncertain whether the youth knew he had consumed dinitrophenol.

The coroner also cited a medical report saying bodybuilders may misuse medicines to increase muscle mass while reducing body fat, and may take other substances to counter side effects. Doctors cited in the report said bodybuilders were known to be vulnerable to muscle dysmorphia, a condition involving a persistent belief that one’s body is insufficiently muscular.