So what is rhabdomyolysis exactly? Under extreme conditions your muscles cells explode. They die. They leach protein out into the blood stream, including one form called myoglobin. Ever stalwart, your kidneys take up the job of clearing these dangerous proteins from the blood. Why? Its just what they do. Unfortunately, myoglobin proteins arent designed to be in the blood in the first place and they can easily overload the kidney. This can produce injury or death to all or part of the kidney in a short amount of time, and is potentially lethal. Locally, the muscles are left damaged and dying. Swelling ensues and weakness occurs as pressure builds around the remaining muscle cells. Your bodys systems that normally can assist with this local muscle damage are now offline trying to help you not die. If you get to this stage, youre in serious trouble. In some cases, acute compartment syndrome ensues, which is an emergency condition that can result in loss of a limb unless your connective tissue is slashed open to release the swelling , a procedure called a fasciotomy. None of this is something that people should be handling in such a cavalier manner. So what gives? As early as 2005, the New York Times documented rhabdomyolysis associated with the culture of CrossFit in a piece entitled, Getting Fit, Even If It Kills You. The article included this gem of a quote: Yet six months later Mr. Anderson, a former Army Ranger, was back in the gym, performing the very exercises that nearly killed him. I see pushing my body to the point where the muscles destroy themselves as a huge benefit of CrossFit, he said. - John Archuleta
Posted on: Wed, 28 May 2014 16:30:42 +0000
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