Stories of rhabdomyolysis have been tied to CrossFit for years and has been rather controversial regarding whether CrossFit or the athlete is to blame. In a recent article published on Houstoniamag.com, Nick Esquer describes his own experience with rhabdomyolysis following a CrossFit workout. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Below is an excerpt from the full article:
Perpetually a Pukie, Thanks to CrossFit
IT HAD TO BE ONE OF THE LOWEST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE. There I was at Houston Methodist Hospital, hooked up to an IV, the steady stream of fluids entering my body becoming a steady stream of urine exiting my body. I looked like a human pincushion, with arms so swollen that my elbows and wrists were imperceptible. Nurse Mama—that was her actual name—tried to comfort me, asking me questions to keep me distracted until I passed out. Hours later, I came to and looked around my hospital room with dismay. How did I get here?
I soon learned that I’d suffered the cheesiest of all sports injuries: rhabdomyolysis, a condition that plagues the sleeve-tattooed, bearded adherents of the cult that is CrossFit. Athletes contract rhabdo by overworking certain muscles—the result of pushing it too hard after not exercising for a while, or being dehydrated. Skeletal muscle tissue suffers rapid damage, and blood clots start to form, usually inside the arms and legs. In half of cases, the kidneys are affected as well—mine were fine, thankfully—and in a few rare instances, it’s fatal.
To read the full article, click here.
