Bodybuilder, 28, dies after suffering a heart attack during a tough workout with friends

A bodybuilder has died after suffering a heart attack during a tough workout.

Jose Mateus Correia Silva, 28, was training with friends at a gym in Aguas Claras, near the Brazilian capital Brasilia, when he fell ill.

He was rushed to a nearby fire station by a firefighter friend he was with, but attempts to revive him for more than an hour proved unsuccessful.

Jose’s heartbroken brother Tiago paid tribute to him in an emotional post on social media, writing alongside a photo of the tragic athlete: ‘You were incredible. Thank you. I love you.’

In an interview with local media, he stressed that his sibling was “in good condition” and had no health problems of which he was aware. He added: “Heaven has gained an angel. Jose was a much loved man.”

The dead man had competed and finished ninth in the men’s bodybuilding class up to 179cm at the 2018 South American Championships, after finishing 11th a year earlier in the men’s bodybuilding class up to 100kg in the Arnold Classic South America.

Although he was not competing at the time of his death, Jose was involved in preparing other bodybuilders for competitions between workouts and owned an online supplement store.

He had also qualified as a lawyer and taken a nutrition course.

Jose Mateus Correia Silva was training with friends at a gym in Aguas Claras, near the Brazilian capital Brasilia, when he fell ill

The 28-year-old finished ninth in the men’s physics class up to 179cm at the 2018 South American Championships

Jose had become a lawyer and had taken a nutrition course

Jose’s funeral on Sunday, two days after his death last Friday, which went unreported in his home country for several days, was attended by hundreds of mourners, including his widow to whom he became engaged in July 2020.

Tiago described it as a ‘beautiful farewell, full of family and friends’, adding: ‘There were so many people they couldn’t fit in the chapel.

‘We had an evangelical ceremony and a Catholic one. It was not a sad ceremony, although there was a lot of emotion.’

It is not yet clear why Jose became ill during his training and what lay behind his death.

Although some of his more recent social media posts have been removed from the internet since his death, older photos show him posing with medals he won while still competing.

A well-wisher reacting to news of Jose’s shocking death wrote alongside his brother’s tribute: ‘My deepest condolences to you and your family.

“I hope God gives you the comfort you need to overcome the pain you are feeling right now.”

Another said: ‘Such sad news! My heart goes out to you. God comforts you and your entire family.”

Others linked his early death to the use of anabolic steroids, although there is no evidence that Jose had used drugs to enhance his body and performance.

Cilene Rodrigues de Brito wrote on Facebook after comparing photos of Jose while he was still competing and more recent photos of him: ‘It’s shocking how these bodybuilders are aging so quickly due to the use of anabolic steroids.

‘He was 28, but he looked twice his age. How sad! I hope God takes care of him in a good place.”

Another added: ‘I didn’t want to judge but that man was 28 and had the face of a 50 year old.

‘We know that some anabolic steroids age people, that’s a fact. You gain muscle mass, but you lose a lot more stuff.

Jose’s heartbroken brother Tiago paid tribute to him in an emotional post on social media

Tiago insisted his brother was “in good condition” and had no health problems

Jose was the founder of nutritional supplement stores, an athlete trainer and a prominent figure in the world of bodybuilding

‘I also lost a young friend, the same age as Jose.

‘He didn’t drink, didn’t use drugs and hardly trained. But he started taking a multivitamin drug called Potenay to strengthen his muscles and improve his performance during training.

“One day he decided to take caffeine and unfortunately had a heart attack.”

Jose’s death is the latest in a series of high-profile tragedies involving bodybuilders.

In September, a teenage bodybuilder with a “brilliant future” ahead of him was found dead at his home in Brazil.

Matheus Pavlak, 19, had transformed his body in just five years after taking up the grueling sport to overcome his obesity.

The police officer’s son was a regular competitor in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, where he lived, and last year won an U23 competition to become Mr Blumenau in his eponymous home town.

In May this year he finished fourth and sixth in other regional competitions.

He was found dead in his home on September 1 after suffering a heart attack.

In May, a Majorcan bodybuilder who survived cancer and life-threatening peritonitis died at the age of 50.

Xisco Serra’s premature death was locally attributed to natural causes at the time after he suffered stomach problems.

The sports science graduate, who started lifting weights as a 16-year-old, took up sports thirty years ago and subsequently took part in around 90 competitions.

His most notable wins on the international stage include the Mr World IBFA in Rome in 2011 and the Mr Universe IBFA in the Over 40s category in 2014, the same year he was voted overall Musclebeach Champion after competing in Venice, California .

He took part last year when he was crowned champion of a competition in Tenerife.

Older photos on Jose’s social media show him posing with medals he won while still competing

Jose’s death is the latest in a series of high-profile tragedies involving bodybuilders

In April, a Brazilian bodybuilder and fitness instructor died at the age of 29 after losing his battle with Covid.

Jonas Filho, known as Jonas Big, had worried his 10,400 Instagram followers after publishing photos of him on a ventilator at the hospital in the city of Fortaleza shortly after he was admitted.

He wrote alongside the photos: ‘Only God knows the clown’s pain and tears.’

In an earlier post, referring to his humble upbringing in the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceara, he wrote next to a photo of him in the gym during a workout: “Those who come from a poor family have only one option and one chance. The ability to work for the chance to turn the game around. And I don’t think about anything else.’

Days before his death, it emerged that a Portuguese bodybuilder had died at the age of 46 in Cologne, Germany.

Marco Luis, better known by his nickname Monster or Monstro in his native language, worked as an online coach and motivator.

His Canadian-born wife Mariza Luis confirmed the sad news, saying he was “in his ‘paradise’ doing what he loved.”

Marco Luis, from the volcanic island of Terceira in the Azores archipelago, had almost 25,000 followers on Instagram alone, as well as his own YouTube channel.

He called bodybuilding “his life and passion” and has in the past referred to himself online as the “most shredded bodybuilder ever.”