What started as a workout routine, soon changed into a real nightmare. Jessica Johnson (25), from South Carolina, attempted to complete a series of CrossFit exercises known as the Murph Challenge. After feeling sore the very next day, she never thought her muscles - and her body - were in big trouble.
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Exercising after a while can result in muscle soreness, but it shouldn't keep you from continuing your daily activities. Johnson experienced, however, soreness like she never felt before.
Not only did her sore and swollen muscles hurt, but she started to lose feelings in her hands. This prompted her to visit the hospital immediately.
"I was doing 10 sets of five pull-ups," said Johnson about her workout, according to a Mirror article. "I was like 'Oh man, I'm going to be so sore tomorrow.'"
She continued about her symptoms: "My arms stayed swollen and as the days went on they felt like they were getting more swollen. I started losing feeling in my hands on Friday."
Muscles Disintegrated
At the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with a condition named rhabdomyolysis. This condition may appear after high-intensive workouts over a short period, causing a person's muscles to break down, leading to muscle death.
According to a Cleveland Clinic article, once muscles disintegrate, "toxic components of your muscle fibers enter your circulation system and kidneys."
Said components may include potassium, creatine kinase, urate, myoglobin, and phosphate. These can be particularly dangerous to one's kidneys since they are the organs in charge of removing them from the bloodstream. In large quantities, kidney failure could develop eventually.
After receiving treatment, Jessica Johnson was fortunately discharged from the hospital just four days after she was originally admitted.
"This was a wake up call for me to chill out a bit. You don't need to be doing super intense stuff all the time," Johnson said. "It's okay to do a little bit more of a relaxing workout. Listen to your body and take it easy."
The Murph Challenge, the workout routine Johnson attempted to perform, involves completing two one-mile runs, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 squats. On top of it, you must wear a 20-pound vest or body armor.
