Rhabdo: A rare but serious complication of … exercise

It’s a new year, the gyms are unusually busy, and many of us started a new physical activity. Several health clubs are offering fun, interactive, and dynamic exercises such as whole-body workouts, functional training, CrossFit, high-intensity interval training, spinning, etc. Some of these classes are incorporating intense workouts, which was a hot topic in exercise physiology in 2017. There is significant enthusiasm around these programs among my friends, family, and patients. Some of these classes have loud music, lights, and trainers whose job is to push you to a new level. Increasing the intensity of a workout may bring significant health benefits for some; however, lately we are starting to see cases of a potentially life-threatening disease as a result of these activities. It’s called rhabdo. The other day I saw someone wearing a shirt that said “Pushing until Rhabdo.” That made me cringe. And I realized that, although rare, some people do not understand how serious rhabdo can be. What is rhabdo? Rhabdo is short for rhabdomyolysis. This rare condition occurs when muscle cells burst and leak their contents into the bloodstream. This can cause an array of problems including weakness, muscle soreness, and dark or brown urine. The damage can be so severe that it may lead to kidney injury. Intense physical activity is just one of the causes. Others include medication side effects, alcohol use, drug overdose, infections, and trauma/crush injury. Fortunately, m...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Exercise and Fitness Health Source Type: blogs