19-year-old bodybuilder died of a heart attack (9 photos + 1 video)
Brazilian Mateus Pawlak took up the grueling sport to combat obesity. Over the course of five years, he transformed his body and regularly competed, and last year he won the competition and became Mr. Blumenau. On Sunday, the 19-year-old was found dead in his apartment, his heart stopped. 
In May of this year, Mateus took fourth and sixth place in regional competitions. 
Former coach Lucas Cegatti wrote an emotional message after learning of his athlete's death: "Today we lost a great friend, an amazing guy. He left us too early. This tragedy came as a surprise. He had a bright future ahead of him, he was a respected athlete. God has his own plans, but it is difficult to understand, I have no words to explain the heaviness I feel in my heart. I was Matheus' first coach and I am very proud to have I had the opportunity to take care of him like a son. I promised him that one day he would beat me, and it happened in competition. I know that I managed to raise a great athlete. May God comfort his family and take care of our boy." 
The man said that Mateus decided to take up bodybuilding to overcome weight problems: "He started training hard around 2019 because of obesity. In 2022, we started training together and preparing him for the championship." 
The guy from Blumenau, Santa Catarina, posted photos and videos of his amazing body transformation on his social media. He wrote: "It doesn't matter how difficult or unachievable your goal is. If you really want to achieve something, you will definitely do it. I did it." 
Critics claim that the cause of his premature death was the use of anabolic steroids.
One of them wrote: "It is impossible to achieve such muscle definition at 19. The person who prescribed him steroids is to blame for his death."
They countered: "It is not those who sell them, but those who decide to use them."
A friend of Pavlak was outraged: "How can you insult the memory of a guy who is no longer here and can't answer you!! I want to say to the authors of these vile and inhuman comments: be careful. What goes around comes around." 
The death of Mateus is another tragedy associated with the world of bodybuilding.
In April, Brazilian bodybuilder and fitness instructor Jonas Filho died at the age of 29, losing his fight with Covid.
In May, a bodybuilder from Mallorca died at the age of 50. Xisco Serra survived cancer and peritonitis, but developed stomach problems. Local media attributed his premature death to natural causes.
