The danger in being more than sore after exercise

Here’s how trying to get fit too fast can kill you.

You might think I’m talking about a heart attack or heat stroke, but I’m not.

This particular side effect of pushing yourself beyond what your body is used to doing can land you in the hospital before you know it. And if you don’t catch it fast enough, directions to the nearest dialysis center will be on your GPS.

And it can happen to anyone at any age.

Knowing your limits
An indoor, high-intensity group-cycling session almost killed Christopher Michael Everett, a fit 33-year-old who decided to give it a try for the first time.

He says that within the first 10 minutes, his thighs started to feel funny… but he powered through it and finished the class. By the next day, he realized he might be in serious trouble after Googling “spin class and sore legs.”

Everett spent the next week in the hospital being carefully monitored and on IV fluids to flush out the toxic build-up in his kidneys.

It turns out that he was suffering from rhabdomyolysis (or rhabdo), which is a basically a breakdown of skeletal muscles.

When that happens, your body starts pumping chemicals into your bloodstream that can cause unbearable pain, muscle swelling, kidney failure, and even an abnormal heart rhythm.

While plenty of “weekend warrior” activities can bring it on (along with something not exercise- related at all that I’ll tell you about in a moment), it seems that most cases flooding ERs these days are from the increasing popularity of these so-called “spin” classes.

Now, the notion of any kind of exercise being bad for you will probably put a smug smile on the faces of all the couch potatoes in your life, but remember that some physical activity is still vital to staying healthy and preventing all kinds of diseases — from diabetes to dementia.

It’s when you try to push yourself beyond your limits that you can get in real trouble. Especially when you’re climbing on a bike, maybe for the first time in decades, and trying to keep up with kids who do it every day.

Knowing the warning signs that you’ve gone too far can be a lifesaver. Signs and symptoms of rhabdo include:

• extreme muscle pain, which can involve swelling of your muscles and might not show up until several days later.
• nausea, vomiting, and feeling lightheaded.
• dark-colored urine, which can mean your kidneys are already in serious jeopardy.

If you have any of these symptoms, it’s much better to be safe (and a little embarrassed) than sorry, as it can escalate to a code-red condition before you know what hit you. So, when in doubt about any of these symptoms, see your doctor or head to the nearest ER.

But one of the best ways to make sure you don’t become another rhabdo victim is to never let yourself become dehydrated while engaged in any kind of physical activity — and that means drinking before, during, and after.

The other is to take it slow when starting anything new and listen to what your body is telling you — which might very well be STOP! While rhabdo can even happen to professional athletes, it’s most likely to hit someone trying something they’re not used to, be it volleyball with the grandkids or a spin class with your neighbor.

And even if your idea of a workout is walking to the mailbox, rhabdo is still something you need to know about.

That’s because well over 100 drugs can have this serious condition as a side effect, especially statins like Lipitor and Crestor.

I’m sure you’ve heard about those common debilitating, statin-induced muscle pains. Well, rhabdo is the most serious muscle-damaging statin effect of all.

Other drugs that can trigger this condition include acetaminophen (Tylenol), antidepressants, benzo drugs, and corticosteroids.

Because many OTC pain relievers can also damage the kidneys, experts recommend that you not take NSAIDS such as Advil, Motrin, and Aleve after an extreme workout. If you do develop rhabdo, it will put your kidneys in even greater danger.

“Why intense workouts are leading to a life-threatening condition” Daniella Emanuel, July 26, 2017, CNN, cnn.com