Rhabdomyolysis – Serious Condition Or Final Goal

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition related to muscle injury. It is a common result of the breakdown of muscle fibers and those torn fibers entering into the bloodstream. It leads to kidney failure because the kidneys are no longer able to remove concentrated waste and urine. Rhabdomyolysis can in rare cases cause death if not treated urgently, but immediate treatment gives a good outcome.

Myoglobin, the by-product of stray muscle fibers, ends up clogging the kidneys, and can be seen in the form of brown or red urine. Some rhabdomyolysis causes include taking alcohol or the illegal drugs, use of antipsychotics in high doses, and crash injuries like those from car accidents, but the most common reason is extreme muscle strain in untrained athletes. It is not that rare in top athletes either, the more muscle one has, the more serious the condition.

While we don't have anything against the idea behind CrossFit when done safely, someone has to say the emperor is naked. Some workouts are very badly designed.

It is like somebody tossed all the moves into a hat and started drawing. For example, “McCluskey” WOD (in CrossFit slang — workout of the day) is insane and irresponsible. It consists of three rounds of 9 muscle ups, 15 burpee pull-ups, 21 regular pull-ups and 800m of running. Too much pulling for the most trained athletes out there, not to even mention those new to CrossFit; and 108 pull-ups in a single workout?! It is insane and dangerous, the best prescription for rhabdomyolysis.

Olympic weightlifting shouldn't be done for the time it is being done in boxes all over the world. It is a hard and technical move, and shouldn't be done in high reps, let alone be turned into a cardio workout. Power lifts and Olympic lifts are technique-oriented moves and should be done in low reps with heavy weights. If you turn them into cardio like CrossFit did, it is a recipe for injuries.

One would think that a condition as severe as this one would be treated seriously and yet in the CrosFit community it is called Uncle Rhabdo. It has been represented as a cartoon character connected to a dialysis machine, with his intestines hanging down on the floor. It is an immature and jokey approach to a serious matter. CrossFit enthusiasts often wear T-shirts with “Go until you Rhabdo” written in huge letters. Those from the top claim they are just trying to be ethical and honest — and show all the risks. Is this a smart and fun approach to a serious condition, or an inappropriate motivational quote? Judge for yourselves.

READ Tips On How To Relieve Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

The CrossFit community does some good things as well. They are widely present in online media, advocating healthy eating habits. They are working on raising awareness about the type 2 diabetes and its main cause, which is the bad diet. The supporters don't consume processed foods and live the Paleo lifestyle, which is heavy on vegetables and meat and something prehistoric men would eat — basically the things you can pick or hunt. Whether we're like cavemen is debatable – but hey, it's still better than the processed junk the majority of people consume from day to day. While CrossFit isn't the best health and fitness regimen out there, it is not the worst either. If done properly and with adequate supervision, it can do amazing things for your body, but unfortunately, that adequate supervision is extremely rare in this time and age of money-making and numerous fads.