We all expect to feel sore after a tough workout. But there's a big difference between normal muscle aches and a medical emergency.
A 28-year-old woman learned that lesson after her first boot camp class landed her in hospital for a week.
Keen for a challenge, she signed up for a session described as one of the toughest around. Despite having little experience with high-repetition push-ups, she pushed through repeated sets and weighted exercises, ignoring the growing fatigue.
Afterwards, she felt dizzy and sick, assuming she'd simply overdone it. By the next morning, she could barely lift her arms. Two days later, she couldn't even brush her teeth, and her urine had turned a dark, tea-like colour.
Doctors diagnosed her with exertional rhabdomyolysis, or "rhabdo" – a rare condition where intense exercise causes muscles to break down, releasing proteins into the bloodstream that can damage the kidneys. Her creatine kinase (CK), a marker of muscle damage, had soared to 57,000 units per litre, hundreds of times above normal. She spent seven days on intravenous fluids to protect her kidneys.
While rhabdo is uncommon, experts say it can affect anyone who suddenly asks too much of their body – not just beginners.
The warning signs include:
If those symptoms appear after a workout, don't write them off as normal soreness. Prompt treatment usually leads to a full recovery, but delaying medical care can increase the risk of kidney damage.
The message isn't to avoid high-intensity exercise. It's to build up gradually, know your limits, and recognise when your body is telling you something isn't right.
Source: The Guardian
