Dmitry Nuyanzin, a 30-year-old fitness trainer and social-media influencer from Orenburg, Russia, died in his sleep from cardiac arrest after undertaking an extreme weight-gain challenge in which he consumed around 10,000 calories a day. The challenge, intended to promote his personal fitness program, involved rapid weight gain followed by a planned dramatic weight-loss phase — a phase he never reached.
Nuyanzin had encouraged followers to join what he called a “fitness marathon,” offering 10,000 rubles to anyone over 100 kilograms who lost 10 percent of their body weight by the New Year. He documented his own weight-gain efforts online, sharing daily menus that included pastries, half a cake, nearly a kilo of dumplings with mayonnaise, chips, hamburgers, and multiple pizzas. By mid-November, he had reached 105 kilograms, gaining at least 13 kilograms in one month.
In videos posted shortly before his death, Nuyanzin appeared fatigued and admitted he felt unwell. He canceled his training sessions the day before he died and told friends he intended to see a doctor. He was found dead after his heart “stopped beating in his sleep,” according to local reports, with media outlets citing heart failure as the cause.
Health experts warn that such extreme eating challenges pose serious risks. The British Heart Foundation states that excessive weight can lead to artery damage, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes all major risk factors for heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Brown University adds that excess body mass forces the heart to work harder, increasing strain with every heartbeat.
Social-media reactions to Nuyanzin’s death ranged from sorrow to caution. Some followers urged others not to attempt similar stunts, while others noted the dangers of sudden exposure to junk food and extreme caloric loads.
Nuyanzin’s case mirrors other recent incidents. In September, Belarusian bodybuilder Ilya Yefimchuk, known as “Golem,” died from cardiac arrest while reportedly consuming 16,500 calories a day to maintain his 158-kilogram physique. These tragedies highlight a growing trend in online “transformation culture,” which often glorifies fast, dramatic results over safe, sustainable health practices.
A graduate of the Olympic Fitness School in Orenburg and the National Fitness University in St. Petersburg, Nuyanzin had worked as a personal trainer for a decade. Friends paid tribute to him as positive and inspiring. He was married and had no children.
The takeaway from this tragedy is unmistakable: the body has limits, and extreme eating or radical dieting pushes them too far. Nuyanzin tried to show that anyone can lose weight from any condition, but specialists warn that the real message is the opposite only gradual, measured changes protect your health and endure over time. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any diet, intense training program, or extreme challenge.