A WOMAN landed in intensive care with a fatal condition triggered by pushing herself too much during her first spin class.
The 24-year-old had , which is when overworked muscles die, break down and leak toxins into the blood.
These toxins can damage the and cause them to stop working, which can be life-threatening if not treated quickly.
is a high-intensity indoor workout that targets the large muscles in the thighs and glutes.
It’s hugely popular for its fast and endurance boost, but the intense effort can sometimes push beginners too far, medics describing the case in Cureus warned.
They said that young women, especially those with high BMIs have “adequate”; energy and “muscle bulk”; – like the woman in the case report – to do spinning.
“This enduranceand some over-enthusiasmcan lead them to spin for prolonged durations at varying intensities,”; they wrote.
“Combined with dehydration, lack of fitnessand the muscle mass of the quadricepsmakethem more prone to rhabdomyolysis after their first spinning session,”; they added.
Just two days after the class, the unnamed woman was unable to walk upstairs as her thighs throbbed.
But her pain was unusually severe, and when her , she knew something was seriously wrong.
She went to hospital where tests showed her creatine kinase levels, a marker of muscle damage, were more than 50 times the normal limit.
More blood tests showed her body was flooded with toxins from the muscle breakdown, putting severe strain on her kidneys.
Doctors immediately started her on to flush the toxins from her system and closely monitored her kidney function to prevent failure.
After five days of intensive treatment, her muscle enzyme levels finally dropped, and her kidney function began to improve.
She was eventually discharged and made a full recovery – but doctors warn that pushing too hard in a first spin class can trigger this rare, life-threatening condition.
“We recommend gradual, low-intensity training or periodic training with adequate hydration and replenishingthe fluid lossforall young women engaging in indoor cycling for weight reductionin the early phases of their fitness program,”; they wrote.
“Awareness regarding warm-ups and cool-downs should be given to all beginners involved in indoor spinning,”; they added.
