Why Intense Workouts Like Weightlifting And CrossFit Are Actually Very Risky

Workouts are meant to keep one’s body healthy and fit but what happened to Christopher Michael Everett was the other way around. Just a couple of minutes after his SoulCycle class, he started feeling a bit strange. His thighs began to sting and his lower body started to hurt. At first, he thought it was just normal and decided to stick through it the entire time.

Everett, a 33-year-old actor from Los Angeles, was then reminded to either “go big or go home.” He thought it was simply an exercise motto that people hear from time to time. No pain, no gain.

Among the benefits workouts provide are weight loss, strengthened heart, and good breathing.

According to CNN, he felt totally fine the rest of the day, but the following night was different. He felt excruciating pain on his thighs. Alarmed, he searched for “spin class and sore legs” on the internet and chanced upon a woman who experienced the same thing. She was even brought to the hospital due to a condition called Rhabdomyolysis.

Unbeknownst to him, the symptoms – mentioned by the woman – were all over him already. This included (but not limited to) nausea, swollen thighs, soreness and the inability to bend the knees.

Everett thought intense workouts would provide him the health benefits he hoped for.

Dark brown urine is among the symptoms, but he did not wait for it to happen and decided to have himself checked.

In its most organic form, Rhabdomyolysis causes a person’s muscle tissue to break. As a result, it releases a certain protein that is actually harmful to the human body’s bloodstream.

As soon as the LA actor got into the hospital, he was sent to the ER immediately. He stayed there for at least a week.

Dr. Derek Fine of the Johns Hopkins Medicine explained that the condition literally refers to “breakdown of muscle.” When this happens, the affected muscle releases myoglobin that poisons the kidneys through the bloodstream.

Strenuous activities such as weightlifting, CrossFit, and even running can lead to Rhabdomyolysis.

Fine iterated that this usually happens to people who undergo intense workouts. The latter, in one way or another, causes severe trauma to the muscle. Unfortunately for some, they have no concrete knowledge about the possibility of experiencing Rhabdomyolysis.

Interestingly, the condition was first discovered among the people who had been trapped under wreaked buildings during World War 2.

Medical experts suggest that the worst-case scenario is total kidney failure, which leads to dialysis. And once the body organ fails to function, the body acquires potassium overload which can lead to abnormal heart rate.

People who love to exercise and workout must be very careful not to overextend themselves.

The key to preventing Rhabomyolysis is by not overwhelming one’s capability. Those who love workouts should not push themselves too hard, most especially if it is their first time.

Moreover, the condition can affect any age group and gender. As Fine advised, it is best to take things slowly when undergoing a workout program. More importantly, one must be well-hydrated before, during, and after each exercise.