Following their participation in a Navy SEAL-style practice, many men’s lacrosse players from Tufts University were hospitalized last week with a life-threatening muscle condition, according to the school’s announcement.
Following a team practice on Monday, September 16, twelve men’s lacrosse players at the institution were given a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo), a potentially deadly muscle ailment. This information was provided by Patrick Collins, a representative for the university. A total of five of the players were had to be hospitalized.
A Tufts alumnus who had previously finished training to become a Navy SEAL led the voluntary, supervised exercise that lasted for forty-five minutes, according to Collins. The university reports that around fifty members of the squad took part in the exercise; however, the number of confirmed cases and hospitalizations may vary from time to time.
In accordance with Collins, medical staff are now providing treatment to the members of the squad who are hospitalized. According to what he shared with the press, “Our thoughts are with the players and their families, and we are hoping for their quick return to good health under the care of doctors and other medical professionals from the area.”
A statement was made by the coach that said, “In the meantime, 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.”
It has been stated by Collins that Tufts University has the intention of conducting an investigation into the situation and would “conduct a thorough review as soon as possible, in order to take any steps that are necessary to support the safety of our student-athletes.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rhabdomyolysis is a potentially lethal medical condition that occurs “when damaged muscle tissue releases its proteins and electrolytes into the blood.” The most frequent causes of rhabdomyolysis are heat and abuse. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the muscle tissue degrades and releases a toxic protein known as creatine kinase into the circulation. However, the sickness is treatable, and intravenous (IV) therapy is often used to flush the proteins out of a patient’s system.