[Medical Q&A] Can heavy exercise cause rhabdomyolysis?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Ning Yongzhong, Chief Technician, Beijing Chuiyangliu Hospital

Large amounts of overload exercise may trigger exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis syndrome!

1. What is exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis syndrome?

Exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis is a clinical syndrome caused by the release of myocyte contents into the blood due to damage to muscle fibers after exercise. The main symptoms include muscle pain, fatigue, muscle swelling, and dark urine color (usually tea or cola color). This is because high levels of myocyte contents, especially myoglobin and creatine kinase, are detected in the blood.

2. Is exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis serious?

If not treated promptly, severe exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis syndrome may lead to a series of complications, including acute renal failure, acute compartment syndrome (increased pressure around muscles), disseminated intravascular coagulation and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and even threaten life.

3. How to prevent and treat it?

For this syndrome, early and aggressive intravenous rehydration is critical, which can help remove harmful substances from the blood and prevent kidney damage. In addition, timely blood purification treatment can also prevent the condition from worsening. Most patients have a good prognosis after appropriate treatment, but if serious complications occur, the mortality rate will increase significantly.

4. Who is prone to disease?

This syndrome is common in people who do long-term, high-intensity exercise, such as marathon runners, 5km armed cross-country runners, ski enthusiasts, rowers, climbers, weightlifters, and bodybuilders. In addition, people who do not exercise regularly are also prone to this condition if they suddenly engage in a lot of intense exercise. This condition is also common among soldiers undergoing high-intensity military training.

Therefore, during military training and sports activities, attention should be paid to preventing and promptly treating rhabdomyolysis syndrome. Reasonable training plans, gradually increasing exercise intensity, adequate hydration, and paying attention to body signals (such as muscle pain or changes in urine color) are all effective measures to prevent the disease.