CrossFit's Dirty Little Secret

[luvmyguys]

I shouldn't do CrossFit, as the movements are asking for an injury for me. I saw this article floating around FB that I found interesting.

I don't know much about the Rhabdo phenomenon. This article states that it's rare outside of CF and a few other specific places, but most of the CFer's responding to this say that it can happen in any form of training. Out of curiosity, does anyone know (with stats) how common it is when CF isn't in any way involved?

[OakLeaf]

I know there was a large number of women on one of our college teams who got it a year or two ago. I don't remember what sport, except that it was some kind of stick and ball sport, not weightlifting. As far as statistics, I have no idea. When I encountered it with my clients, it had to do with body chemistry, often chronic alcoholism, not with exertion.

[OakLeaf]

Here's a comment from a friend of a FB friend:

Yes, and... while this extreme complication of overtraining is comparitively rare, CrossFit's dirty *big* secret is simply that they're encouraging *ghastly* technique in lifts that are unsuitable and dangerous for many of their clients. Like almost all trainers, under the guise of "changing things up" they manage to avoid establishing baselines in standard exercises -- which in turn prevents their customers from realizing that they've actually plateaued out, or are getting weaker, in spite of the fact that they feel beat to ratshit every morning. Having been a competitive power- and Olympic lifter, I see CrossFit-influenced people in the gym every day, deadlifting with rounded backs and doing knock-kneed power cleans; doing all kinds of partial range bullshit, desperate to use a heavy weight they're nowhere near strong enough to lift properly or completely. If I could send one message to these people, it would be this: Every world class athlete trains at the same basic exercises for their sport, every day or two, for their entire careers. If they mix things up, it's for a tiny percentage of their workout. If your trainer is contantly changing things up, no matter what they tell you, you're not training "like the pros". Every world class athlete trains with strict, perfect form. Adding 10 pounds or getting another few reps doesn't count if you have to throw form out to do it. Get on YouTube and watch Olympic weightlifters -- even setting WRs, their form is perfect. Message: It's not "practice makes perfect", it's "perfect practice makes perfect". Next rant will be, trainers on steroids training customers who aren't...

BTW, it was members of the women's lacrosse team who got rhabdomyolysis last year, and several members of another college team the year before.

[luvmyguys]

Form and the movements are the reason I would never do CF, so I completely understand that.

Was the lacrosse team doing any other muscle conditioning? I know one high school in the area was using CF for their BAND (really?). I would hope that at the high school level, CrossFit is toned down.

One thing you said had me looking yesterday, and what the article doesn't mention is the effect of body chemistry on someone's susceptibility to rhabdo. It would seem that overexertion plus drinking the night before or overworking in nasty hot temps without properly hydrating would increase the incidence of it. But that's a not very educated opinion based only on a little internet research.

[OakLeaf]

Here's the complete report on what happened with the lacrosse team. It seems it kind of snuck up on them.

[yellow]

Oak, when I followed the link I got "page not found".

Exertional rhabdo symptoms aren't limited to activities like Crossfit or other extreme HIIT programs. They are pretty common in marathoning and ultrarunning. Fortunately, with ultras, you generally have early warning signs and it is pretty easy to turn it around (unless you choose not to--and that happens more frequently than it should, and it is usually men). I had mild symptoms during and after one of my 50 milers earlier this year, probably mostly due to heat stress. After the race, I went to the doc and had her run the battery of tests. Kidneys were fine, but she agreed that I should come in for tests after every 50+ mile race so we can keep track of general kidney health. You can do all the right things and still have symptoms. I have had other incidents of symptoms (but never anything more, thankfully) over the ears. For some unknown reason, I seem to be susceptible. I remember a blood test long ago that I had to re-take because I had high levels of myoglobin; at the time the doc asked me to not work out for a couple of days beforehand. It was several years later that I finally figured out what was going on.

Moderation is a good thing (exercise AND cookies). I keep telling myself that.

[Wahine]

I've gone on some rants here and there about CrossFit.

I agree 100% with the form going out the window issue with CFers. I get patients all the time that have gone to CF and hurt themselves, sometimes very seriously. Having said that there are 3 CF gyms in my area and there is a huge difference in quality of trainers from one gym to the other. There is one gym in my area that is excellent. One that is very suspect and the other, I'm still undecided. And, I know of a couple of endurance racers that have had this same problem, no CF, just overtraining on the bike. So I want people to be aware, I want people to make good decisions and self monitor, but I don't think that CF is always a bad thing.