Rhabdomyolysis, which literally means “breakdown of muscle” is a little-known illness but one that anyone who works out seriously should know about. In this case, muscle tissue breaks down and releases a harmful protein, myoglobin, into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, your kidneys are at risk.
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The condition is caused by any type of trauma to the muscle which is why body builders and anyone else who works out quite hard (think Spinning, P90X, CrossFit, weight lifting and running) needs to be aware.
Rhabdomyolysis cases that are easier to treat see patients receiving fluids to rehydrate and flush the kidneys. After a few days of monitoring in the hospital, they can be released. However, if the condition is severe, the kidneys could shut down, leaving the patient on dialysis:
“With kidney failure comes the risk of an overload of potassium in the body, which could lead to abnormal heart rhythms and death.
In April, the American Journal of Medicine released a study on three cases of rhabdomyolysis that were caused by Spinning classes. In one case, a 33-year-old kindergarten teacher was put on dialysis when she had kidney failure and experienced fluid overload from her hydration treatment.”
Another potential symptom of rhabdomyolysis is compartment syndrome, Coffino said, which is when muscles swell and are unable to expand. In some cases, surgery is needed to release pressure from the muscle.
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Avoiding rhabdomyolysis
Because rhabdomyolysis can occur at any age in both men and women, it’s important to be slow and gradual when beginning a new type of workout. Make sure to let the instructor know you are new and please HYDRATE– both during and after exercise. Also, don’t plan to workout so hard you’ll need nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory meds because they too can be damaging to the kidneys, and if you were to develop rhabdomyolysis, it could worsen the condition.
Check out my better half’s favorite new addition to his workout routine:
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