Friends of the bodybuilder said they realised something was wrong when they noticed the influencer’s lips had turned a shade of blue and that he appeared to be extremely tired
Bi Jiaqi tragically died in his sleep
A bodybuilding influencer has died suddenly in his sleep at the age of just 26.
Bi Jiaqi had recently bought a new house and vowed to host a dinner party for friends when it was time to move in. Tragically, the fitness influencer died on Friday before it was renovated.
The influencer, known for his gruelling workouts and toned physique, was speaking to friends online just hours before his death. He had been discussing plans for his next bodybuilding competition.
But friends realised something was not right in the days leading up to his death but put it down to training fatigue. While sorting through recent photos, they realised his lips appeared purple and that he had tired eyes.
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While sorting through recent photos, they noticed his lips appeared purple and he had tired eyes. They also said that the blood vessels in his neck were bulging abnormally.
They said these symptoms seem to suggest oxygen deficiency and circulatory problems, which can lead to cardiac arrest. The exact cause of his death has yet to be announced.
Earlier this month, Bi, who came from Ningbo in China, posted a selfie and joked that his “head was swollen like a steamed bun.” His training partners thought it was a normal reaction to extreme fat loss and pre-competition dehydration.
Many athletes reduce their body fat percentage to single digits through extreme water and salt restriction to make their muscles more defined, but it can put severe strain on the heart. Zhang Yu, a cardiologist at Fuwai Hospital in Shenzhen, said: “Long-term high-intensity fitness training can place a huge burden on the cardiovascular system.
“In particular, the dehydration and fat reduction methods commonly used by bodybuilders before competitions can make the blood thicker, greatly increasing the risk of thrombosis. Exercise is a double-edged sword ` both inactivity and excessive exercise are bad for the heart.
“Long-term overload training may lead to myocardial fibrosis and myocardial hypertrophy, which may increase the risk of sudden death.” The bodybuilder’s Weibo followers were shocked by his sudden passing.Many said they thought he was “invincible”.
Bi’s body will undergo an autopsy to establish the exact cause of death.
