MDLinxAthletes Hospitalized with Rare Condition: Docs Sound Off on What Went Wrong

Read the original article

Nine Tufts University lacrosse players were hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis following a Navy SEAL-led workout, highlighting the critical importance of appropriate exercise intensity progression and medical vigilance in collegiate athletics. The 45-minute voluntary workout, which involved approximately 50 players, has prompted an institutional investigation and sparked discussion among medical experts about prevention strategies and early recognition of this serious condition.

Key Points:

• Rhabdomyolysis developed in athletes who underwent an intensified training regimen without proper acclimatization, despite prior conditioning
• The condition typically presents with severe muscle pain, unusual weakness, and cola-colored urine
• Annual US rhabdomyolysis cases total approximately 26,000, with less than 50% exercise-related and less than half of those developing kidney failure
• Early medical intervention is crucial – physicians should not dismiss severe post-workout symptoms as routine muscle soreness
• Proper safeguards and coordination between outside training consultants and institutional strength/conditioning staff are essential for athlete safety

“The number one thing is to really take what the patient tells you seriously and don’t ignore it… it’s very easy to just blow somebody off saying, ‘Oh, well, you had a rough workout.'”
– Ali Jamehdor, DO, Emergency Medicine Physician and the Medical Director of the Weingart Foundation Emergency Department at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA

More on Exercise/Training