WARNING to extreme work out folks.....

dyannajoy
dyannajoy Posts: 466 Member
edited December 18 in Fitness and Exercise
My son in law was recently diagnosed with Rhabdomyolysis. He was VERY sick. His kidneys were affected. He was doing extrme work out under the supervision of a trainer for almost a year now. He kicked it up a notch about a week ago and ended up in severe pain and in ER. The attending Dr. happened to have just taken a seminar on this topic or he may have just told him to rest for a day or two and he would be fine. He tested further....thank god.......kidneys etc were all compromised. He is VERY ill. PLEASE PLEASE be careful and do not do permanent damage to your bodies in the process of trying to achieve *perfection*.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhabdomyolysis

Replies

  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    I did that to myself twice when I was younger. I didn't know what it was then and fortunately got better without seeing a Dr. However, I was weaker afterwards and it took a while to recover my strength.
  • motherbetty
    motherbetty Posts: 170 Member
    My son-in-law tends to work out extremely hard and doesn't follow good eating or re-hydrating habits. Can you tell us a little more about your son-in-law's situation? Was he working out daily for hours and hours, dead lifting, extreme cardio, etc? Or .... ?
  • trixirn
    trixirn Posts: 130 Member
    Working out causes muscles to tear. that's how they build by tearing and repairing themselves. A side effect of this is an elevated cpk level which is an enzyme. if you do not drink enough to flush your kidneys you can give yourself kidney failure. Those bodybuilders carrying around milk jugs of water that we all make fun of actually are correct. I am an er nurse. I have had to start iv's and rehydrate people from my very own gym when they've passed out there. be careful out there, folks.
  • dyannajoy
    dyannajoy Posts: 466 Member
    My son-in-law tends to work out extremely hard and doesn't follow good eating or re-hydrating habits. Can you tell us a little more about your son-in-law's situation? Was he working out daily for hours and hours, dead lifting, extreme cardio, etc? Or .... ?

    not real sure about exactly what he was doing except it was lifting and cardio and for only about an hour a day. He also was eating low carb and I am not sure about the hydrating. Unfortunately he is a obsessive compulsive type of person who like to go to extremes :ohwell:. I am more than a little angry with him for not taking care of himself better.........my daughter just had a new baby and needs her husband to help more..........but perhaps this will be a wakeup call:huh:
  • dyannajoy
    dyannajoy Posts: 466 Member
    the more I learn about this......I realize it does not even have to be extreme workout people.......it can happen to anyone who is pushing themselves too hard and for many other reasons too......please read up on this and take care! Also HYDRATION is critical!
  • docktorfokse
    docktorfokse Posts: 473 Member
    the more I learn about this......I realize it does not even have to be extreme workout people.......it can happen to anyone who is pushing themselves too hard and for many other reasons too......please read up on this and take care! Also HYDRATION is critical!
    ^this. if you're ever thirsty during a workout, or if you sweat very little, you're dehydrated.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    Isn't this a problem that typically happens with crossfitters?


    People who have good programming aren't going to experience this issue.
  • mystiedragonfly
    mystiedragonfly Posts: 189 Member
    I'd be interested in knowing what he was eating AND (especially) drinking on a regular basis.

    ... funny how things always boil down to diet/nutrition, huh?
  • dyannajoy
    dyannajoy Posts: 466 Member
    I'd be interested in knowing what he was eating AND (especially) drinking on a regular basis.

    ... funny how things always boil down to diet/nutrition, huh?

    yes, me too.....I do know that he was eating very low carb........but do not know about the rest..........common sense is often not very common:ohwell:
  • beduffbrickie
    beduffbrickie Posts: 642 Member
    just read up on it from your link, thanks for the heads up!
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
    the more I learn about this......I realize it does not even have to be extreme workout people.......it can happen to anyone who is pushing themselves too hard and for many other reasons too......please read up on this and take care! Also HYDRATION is critical!
    ^this. if you're ever thirsty during a workout, or if you sweat very little, you're dehydrated.

    Does sweating little always matter? I typically never sweat a lot unless its hot outside when I work out. I drink a lot of water too
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    My hips started hurting all the time. I took that as a Sign.
  • docktorfokse
    docktorfokse Posts: 473 Member
    the more I learn about this......I realize it does not even have to be extreme workout people.......it can happen to anyone who is pushing themselves too hard and for many other reasons too......please read up on this and take care! Also HYDRATION is critical!
    ^this. if you're ever thirsty during a workout, or if you sweat very little, you're dehydrated.

    Does sweating little always matter? I typically never sweat a lot unless its hot outside when I work out. I drink a lot of water too
    this is assuming you exercise at a high intensity. you should drink a lot of water throughout the day and a ton of water during your workouts.
  • crawpapa
    crawpapa Posts: 156 Member
    Isn't this a problem that typically happens with crossfitters?


    People who have good programming aren't going to experience this issue.

    It's a problem with any person that pushes the limit on a regular basis, and that's what CrossFit does a lot of times, trying to beat your previous time or get a certain amount of rounds in within a certain timeframe. I first heard about Rhabdo when I started doing CF, and most coaches keep a watchful eye.

    I would argue that even "seasoned" people can experience this, and people with "good programming" aren't immune.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    If you ever get it there will be no doubt in your mind. Your muscles will be tight and swollen and will it will involve severe pain just to move. Also, your urine will be very dark reddish brown.
    The times I got it both involved pushing too much weight and too many sets on the first day of a weight lifting program. It took about four days to get over it and the affected muscles were noticeably weaker afterwards.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    yes, me too.....I do know that he was eating very low carb........but do not know about the rest..........common sense is often not very common:ohwell:

    Very low carb / high protein diets tend to generate a lot of toxins that you body must get rid of. You need to make sure you are taking in a lot of water to keep your liver, kidneys, and other toxin filters well-hydrated, not to mention giving your body lots of fluids to carry those toxins away.

    Atkins, which is a well-established low-carb diet, tends to recommend (depending on where you read up on it) 10-12 8 ounce glasses a day instead of the "usual" eight. More if you are exercising heavily.

    So it sounds like he ran into a "perfect storm" of trying to build muscle and doing a low-carb diet, and probably wasn't coming anywhere NEAR what he needed to flush the resulting toxins out of his system.

    Lest anyone think I'm criticizing low-carb diets, I'm not. It's just important to understand how you need to support your body as it increases its processing of toxins - by drinking extra water to give it the tools it needs.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
    the more I learn about this......I realize it does not even have to be extreme workout people.......it can happen to anyone who is pushing themselves too hard and for many other reasons too......please read up on this and take care! Also HYDRATION is critical!
    ^this. if you're ever thirsty during a workout, or if you sweat very little, you're dehydrated.

    Does sweating little always matter? I typically never sweat a lot unless its hot outside when I work out. I drink a lot of water too
    this is assuming you exercise at a high intensity. you should drink a lot of water throughout the day and a ton of water during your workouts.

    After a 5 mile run I'm barely sweaty. It takes me about 45 min so its not crazy intense. After my crossfit workouts I'm a little sweaty but no where near as much as the other people there. I've never been much of a sweater all together though. I didn't sweat a lot during soccer games when I used to play either. A little tmi, but I thought if your urine is on the clear side when you pee then you're adequately hydrated. I think if I drink any more I'd just be in the bathroom all day lol.
  • ktbia
    ktbia Posts: 118 Member
    Just had a patient a few months back who got this from crossfit. Hospitalized for over 3 days!
  • kalynn06
    kalynn06 Posts: 368 Member
    I've seen this in race horses and in a working dog, but never really thought about in people. Good heads up.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Very interesting and good to know! I've tried a few of these 'extreme' workouts and they are just too intense for my body! I thought it was my age and I was being a wimp. :sad:
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    intensity-gauge.jpg
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