Tufts University announces the release of its lacrosse team members from the hospital, having suffered an uncommon muscle injury.
"We're thrilled to acknowledge that our team members have made a full recovery," penned the president of the university, Sunil Kumar, along with two other deans, on Wednesday, in an update for the students.
The players fell sick following a "voluntary, monitored" 45-minute workout on September 16, led by a university alumnus who had recently graduated from the BUD/S Navy SEAL training program. According to Patrick Collins, the executive director of media relations for the Boston-area university, the BUD/S abbreviation stands for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training.
About 50 players took part in the workout, with nine being hospitalized due to a condition known as rhabdomyolysis, or rhabdo for short. This medical condition occurs when muscles break down and emit their constituents into the bloodstream. In severe cases, it can lead to damage to the kidneys and other organs. Rhabdomyolysis is uncommon but has been known to be life-threatening, as per the Cleveland Clinic.
Tufts, a university whose men’s lacrosse team won the division championship in May, entrusted D. Rod Walters II, a renowned expert in the field of student-athlete injury prevention and care, and lawyer Randy Aliment from the firm Lewis Brisbois, with the task of investigating the causes behind the injuries and assessing the university's response.
Dr. Robby Sikka, a sports medicine physician and the medical director for the Professional Tennis Players Association, explained to CNN that cases of rhabdomyolysis can occur in student athletes when they resume intense workouts after a break.
"Normally, we observe this in athletes during the off-season or as they begin to ramp up their training again," said Sikka.
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While it's unusual, multiple members of a team suffering from rhabdomyolysis at once have been reported before. For instance, clusters of such cases have been observed among college football players in Iowa in 2011 and among swimmers in South Carolina in 2007.
Dr. Sikka also pointed out that certain nutritional supplements, such as higher caffeine and creatine intake, can contribute to the risk of developing rhabdomyolysis; however, it is uncertain whether these factors played a role in the incidents at Tufts.
"We understand you have numerous queries," the Tufts officials wrote in their letter on Wednesday. "Frankly, we share the same curiosity."
The university leaders stated that they were adhering to the best practices for an investigation by refraining from making public statements, as they didn't wish to unwittingly influence the independent investigation's direction. They promised to disclose the results once the investigation was concluded.
CNN’s Michelle Watson contributed to this report.
After the intense workout, the university leaders recognized the importance of prioritizing the team's health and well-being, implementing stricter guidelines for future workouts.
Following the investigation, the university acknowledged the role of proper nutrition in maintaining athlete health and emphasized the need for education on the potential risks of certain supplements.
