Jon Hyman MD PC

In recent news, a 17 y/o Houson teen is shedding light on a potentially deadly illness, after having been diagnosed recently after 'working out too hard'. He had recently joined the gym, and said he was trying to “go hard fast” to compete with his dad and older brother, both of whom had been into bodybuilding for years, as reported by news station KTRK.

Rhabdomyolysis (or ‘uncle rhabdo’ as it is affectionately called in the high intensity fitness community ) is a pathological process where muscle cells (myocytes) break down (lysis) in high quantities. This causes muscle tissues to rapidly die and release a damaging protein into the blood. The kidneys, which filter the blood, can be damaged by the toxic accumulation of these proteins. One of the early signs is a change in color in ones urine after an intense workout.

Hydration is important, with a proper balance of water and electrolytes, particularly in the heat of Summer workouts. However, this condition can occur at any time during the year. Prevention is more important and more effective than treatments. Exercise in moderation and gradual transition into more intense workout is important as well.

This problem usually arises out of work outs which are too intense for too long of a period of time. When one is doing a movement with multiple repetitions, good muscle functionality allows one to do them in sets of three or five or 10. When you are weekend to a point where you can only do one rep at a time, the muscle breakdown process can potentially accelerate. Caution should be exercised.