A BODYBUILDER has died after suffering a heart attack during his brutal workout.
Jose Mateus Correia Silva, 28, had competed in punishing 100kg bodybuilding competitions before he collapsed at a gym in Brazil last Friday.
Jose was working out at a gym with friends in Aguas Claras, Brasilia before dying right in front of them.
He was rushed to a nearby fire station by a firefighter pal he was with but efforts to revive him lasting more than an hour proved unsuccessful.
Some have linked his death to the use of anabolic steroids, and it is currently unknown what caused his sudden heart attack.
Cilene Rodrigues de Brito wrote on Facebook after comparing photos of Jose while he was still competing and more recent snaps of him:
“It’s shocking how these bodybuilders age so quickly with the use of anabolic steroids.
“He was 28 but he looked twice as old. How sad! I hope God looks after him in a good place.”
Another added: “Not wanting to judge but that man was 28 and had the face of a 50-year-old.
“We know some anabolic steroids age people, that’s a fact. You gain muscle mass but you lose many other things.
“I lost a young friend as well, the same age as Jose.
“He didn’t drink or take drugs and hardly trained.
“But he began to use a multi-vitamin drug called Potenay to boost his muscles and improve his performance during training.
“One day he decided to take caffeine with it and unfortunately suffered a heart attack.”
There is no evidence that Jose was using anabolic steroids to enhance his physical performance, reports confirm.
Tributes have been paid to the fitness enthusiast, who also owned an online supplement store.
His brother Tiago said: “You were incredible. Thank you for so much. I love you.
“Heaven has gained an angel. Jose was a much-loved man.”
Tiago insisted to local media that his brother was “in good shape” and didn’t have any health problems.
Jose’s funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners, so many they spilled out of the service.
Tiago commented: “There were so many people they couldn’t fit inside the chapel.
“We had an evangelical ceremony and a Catholic one. It wasn’t a sad ceremony although there was a lot of emotion.”
Jose was not competing in professional competitions when he died, but he was keeping himself busy.
He was known for prepping other bodybuilders for events, and he was a qualified lawyer.
The fitness fanatic had finished ninth in the Men’s Physique Class up to 179cm in the 2018 South American Championships.
This came after an eleventh placing a year earlier in the Men’s Bodybuilding Class up to 100kg in the Arnold Classic South America.
