Twelve members of the Tufts University lacrosse team have been hospitalized after suffering from a life-threatening muscle condition. And they all did the same incredibly brutal workout.
According to multiple media reports, the team held a workout for their varsity lacrosse athletes last Monday. That day, a Tufts alum who also happens to be a Navy SEAL training graduate led the team through a SEAL-style workout. Something happened during that brutally difficult training regimen, though, because a dozen players came down with a horrifying and deadly medical condition called rhabdomyolysis.
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Per the Cleveland Clinic, rhabdomyolysis — which is commonly known to doctors as “rhabdo” — is a muscle disorder that occurs after the body experiences significant over-exertion and/or overheating. Basically, during rhabdo, damaged muscle tissues break down and release their proteins as electrolytes into the bloodstream. Specifically, a dangerous protein called creatine kinase is released into the blood.
If left untreated, the presence of that protein in the bloodstream can be fatal. Thankfully, medical science has ways to treat the condition. Typically, doctors hook patients up to IV systems and pump fluids into their body to flush all the potentially deadly proteins out of their systems. And that’s exactly what happened with members of the Boston-area school’s lacrosse team.
According to university spokesperson Patrick Collins, the inciting incident was a voluntary 45-minute workout led by the aforementioned Tufts alum. Roughly 50 team members participated in the workout, with twelve going to the hospital in the days afterwards following excruciating pain and muscle weakness.
Per Collins, because so many team members went through the grueling workout, there is concern more could be hospitalized, too. The university spokesperson confirmed all team members were being observed by medical professionals, and the 12 who had been hospitalized have been receiving care from doctors. He stated:
“Our thoughts are with the players and their families, and we are hoping for their quick return to good health under the care of local medical experts.”
Collins also noted that the Tufts lacrosse team — which won the NCAA Division III national championship this past spring — has postponed all practice activities. Those postponements will continue until everyone is medically cleared to get back on the field:
“Meanwhile, we are closely monitoring the condition of the rest of the team and have postponed all team practice activities until each team member has been evaluated and medically cleared to return to participation.”
As for the incident itself, Collins indicated that the university will investigate it to the fullest extent:
“[The college] will conduct a thorough review as quickly as possible, with a goal of taking any steps needed to support the safety of our student-athletes.”
CNN reported on Monday morning that seven of those twelve affected team members have since been discharged from hospitals, and five still remain as patients. Then, late on Monday afternoon, MassLive reported two more players have thankfully been discharged — leaving three student-athletes still remaining in the hospital.
Our thoughts are with them and the rest of the team as this unsettling and scary situation unfolds.
[Image via Universal Pictures/YouTube]
