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A 2023 Tufts University men’s lacrosse player. Tufts University
BOSTON (AP) – Three Tufts University men’s lacrosse players remained hospitalized with a rare muscle injury Monday after participating in a voluntary, supervised 45-minute workout earlier this month, according to a university spokesman.
The players became ill in the days following a Sept. 16 workout led by a Tufts alum who is a recent graduate of the BUD/S Navy SEAL training program.
About 50 team members participated. All were evaluated by medical personnel, with a total of nine requiring hospitalization for rhabdomyolysis, according to Patrick Collins, the university’s director of media relations.
The three still hospitalized Monday were responding to treatment and were expected to be discharged soon, he said. Some team members have been medically cleared to resume training. All team practices have been suspended pending clearance from the university’s medical staff.
Rhabdomyolysis, also known as rhabdo, is a rare muscle disorder in which a person’s muscles break down, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It is a life-threatening condition that can occur after an injury or excessive exercise without rest.
The school appoints an independent investigator to conduct an investigation into what happened before, during and after the practice; assess the University’s response; and review its procedures and policies to determine what changes it should make to prevent this from happening again, Collins said.
“The team is a tight-knit group of young men who have shown extraordinary resilience, understanding and care for each other throughout this episode,” Collins said in a written statement. “We will continue to monitor and work with them closely, and we hope for a speedy return to good health for all involved.”
In 2011, 13 Iowa football players were hospitalized for rhabdo after an offseason workout, and in 2016 the university paid $15,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by one of the players.