Twelve members of the Tufts University men’s lacrosse team were diagnosed with a medical condition related to extreme exertion, and five were hospitalized following a workout led by a recent graduate of the BUD/S Navy SEAL training program. Approximately 50 people participated in the workout on Monday, according to Tufts spokesperson Patrick Collins.As of Friday afternoon, five players remained in the hospital. Collins said the workout was voluntary, supervised and led by a Tufts alum who recently graduated from that famously intense military training program. The 12 student-athletes were all diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, also known as rhabdo, after the workout. That condition occurs when muscle tissue breaks down and releases its contents into the bloodstream.According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition is rare and can be life-threatening. “The most common symptoms are feeling like prolonged muscle stiffness and discomfort and weakness,” said Dr. Shruti Gupta of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Exertion alone is not often a cause of rhabdomyolysis, and Gupta said that patients usually have an underlying genetic condition or suffer some sort of trauma. For 12 healthy young men to get it all at the same time seems strange, she says.”I will say that is very rare. Usually, we see these cases more in isolation. So it’s puzzling for it to happen and particularly to people who are athletes. And so it’s possible there’s sort of more to the story,” she said. “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. 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,” Collins wrote. Collins said Tufts will appoint an independent investigator to review this incident and recommend any steps necessary to better protect student-athletes.
Twelve members of the Tufts University men’s lacrosse team were diagnosed with a medical condition related to extreme exertion, and five were hospitalized following a workout led by a recent graduate of the BUD/S Navy SEAL training program.
Approximately 50 people participated in the workout on Monday, according to Tufts spokesperson Patrick Collins.
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As of Friday afternoon, five players remained in the hospital.
Collins said the workout was voluntary, supervised and led by a Tufts alum who recently graduated from that famously intense military training program.
The 12 student-athletes were all diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, also known as rhabdo, after the workout. That condition occurs when muscle tissue breaks down and releases its contents into the bloodstream.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition is rare and can be life-threatening.
“The most common symptoms are feeling like prolonged muscle stiffness and discomfort and weakness,” said Dr. Shruti Gupta of Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Exertion alone is not often a cause of rhabdomyolysis, and Gupta said that patients usually have an underlying genetic condition or suffer some sort of trauma. For 12 healthy young men to get it all at the same time seems strange, she says.
“I will say that is very rare. Usually, we see these cases more in isolation. So it’s puzzling for it to happen and particularly to people who are athletes. And so it’s possible there’s sort of more to the story,” she said.
“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. 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,” Collins wrote.
Collins said Tufts will appoint an independent investigator to review this incident and recommend any steps necessary to better protect student-athletes.
