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Last week, following a number of extreme workouts, three University of Oregon football players were?hospitalized,?one of them with rhabdomyolysis-or rhabdo for short-a symptom in which muscle tissue stops working so severely the items in muscle fibers leak in to the bloodstream and literally block your kidneys. It’s as awful because it sounds. Unchecked, it can lead to kidney damage, and in the worst case scenario, death.
The Oregonian?reported that?the players had endured grueling, “military” style?workouts, including a session that involved?as much as an hour or so of continuous push-ups and up-downs (which are kind of like Burpees on steroids). But you don’t have to be a top-notch athlete to succumb to this condition. Anybody who regularly engages in super intense training sessions can get it.
“It’s an item of pushing well past your limits,” says Vijay Jotwani, MD, a principal care sports medicine physician at Houston Methodist who works as a team consultant for that Houston Astros. “You’re working hard, feeling the burn and go that next step-and another step, pushing far beyond the point of pain. Later, you’ve extreme muscle pain and swelling-much worse than delayed muscle soreness. You may even have dark colored urine. That’s because the [protein] myoglobin from your muscles has?flooded to your bloodstream and your kidneys are overwhelmed.”
Though rhabdo is rare, some research has found increasing incidents one of the US Military. Along with the demand for high-intensity, military-style workouts?like those done by extreme CrossFit enthusiasts, rhabdo has?earned the nickname “Uncle Rhabdo” in certain CrossFit circles.
“It’s among those situations that you don’t be prepared to ever happen, however it can happen, and you need to be conscious of it since it could be life-threatening whether it does,” says Dr.?Jotwani. We spoken with him?about rhabdomyolsis factors that could increase your rhabdo risk. Here are some steps you can take to stay safe.
The easiest way to prevent rhabdo is as simple as hearing your body, building up intensity gradually, and giving yourself recovery time after hard workouts, says Dr. Jotwani. “This is particularly important when you are just starting out or returning from a layoff or injury when it is simpler to overdo it,” he states.
“Rhabdo-related kidney damage originates from muscle protein and dehydration,” Dr. Jotwani explains.?So make sure you get into workouts properly hydrated; and when you have had a very heavy workout, drink up?afterwards. Also take care when you’re exercising within the heat, if you’re sick, or coming back from an illness-all scenarios by which you’re more likely to be dehydrated.
It’s extremely unlikely that anyone would give themselves rhabdo exercising solo. However in a competitive environment? You may be more prone to push past searing pain to maintain, or impress. When your body says “stop,” stop.
It might feel good to “work off” a hangover, but the morning after drinking isn’t the time for you to push for a PR. “Alcohol is really a muscle irritant. Include excessive exercise and you have high risk,” says Dr. Jotwani. Better to dial it down a notch rather than amp up past max.
Certain cholesterol-lowering medications like statins can increase your risk for rhabdo, with higher doses posing higher risks. The relative risk, however, is very low: One?case for each 100,000 people using the drugs to have an extended period of your time.
If you have any signs or symptoms, including severe muscle pain, swelling, stiffness, and/or black colored urine, head?towards the hospital. The doctors there can screen your blood for markers from the condition for example high quantity of a enzyme creatine kinase and when needed, start treatment immediately to minimize the chance of lasting damage.
