CORNWALL, Ontario – If you’re starting a new exercise regimen a Cornwall woman has a warning for you: relax and drink water, or you could end up in the hospital.
You might even die.
Wendy Currier, 34, was admitted to the Cornwall Community Hospital nearly 10 days ago and has barely left her room after suffering the onset of rhabdomyolysis – a rare but serious health condition that sees muscle fibers break down to the point of entering the bloodstream. Kidneys can shut down as a consequence and in rare cases death can occur.
Currier was suffering excruciating pain following her first-ever spinning class and after two days was urged by her doctor to visit the emergency room at the hospital.
Before long she was admitted and has been on a regimen of saline and other intravenous fluids to flush her system and keep her kidneys safe.
“People don’t know that something can happen to them,” said Currier from her sixth-floor hospital room – the intravenous pump chugging in the background. “It’s really serious – you could end up with something really dangerous.”
Her odyssey began Sept. 26 at a spinning class offered by Erica’s Spin Studio in Cornwall. Currier, new to the exercise program that includes intense cycling on a stationary bike, pushed her way through it.
“We were told to go at our own pace,” Currier said, but admits she probably should have hydrated a little more before the class. “I did a little bit of a warmup.
“It was really hard.”
Currier felt sore after the workout, and winded, but chalked that up to enduring her first class ever. But by Sept. 29 she could no longer handle the pain screaming in her legs.
“It was so bad I couldn’t even step up on a curb,” she said.
Doctors have told Currier her kidneys appear to be fine, but she’s not taking any chances.
“I just want to provide awareness for everyone,” she said.
Erica Bryan, the owner of the spin studio where Currier trained, said her clients sign a waiver before taking part in classes, advising them that the exercise is high impact.
Bryan said like other exercise regimens, spinning takes some getting used to.
“If you went to a Crossfit clinic…you wouldn’t be able to what those other people are doing. But after three or four classes you could see how they do things,” she said.
She said her spinning clients can choose to drink water during the exercise – some do, and some don’t.
“It’s your choice if you drink or not,” said Bryan.
Currier has been advised she could be home in time for the Thanksgiving weekend.
FACTS ON RHABDOMYOLYSIS
What are the Symptoms?
1. extreme muscle pain and soreness swelling
2. difficulty moving the affected muscles
3. weakness in the affected muscles
4. dark urine (brown, cola-colored)
What type of workouts cause rhabdo?
Using light loads for many, many repetitions in a long workout is the usual culprit. Performing many reps of one movement in a row without changing movements or resting can also be a factor. However, heavy lifting generally does not cause rhabdo. Lifting heavy loads forces you to stop before severe muscle breakdown occurs. For example: performing 5 sets of 5 squats at a heavy load is not a workout that carries a rhabdo risk. However, performing 1 set of 100 squats as quickly as possible with a light load would carry a rhabdo risk.
Who generally gets rhabdo?
Not many people at all. Rhabdo is very rare. It’s highly unlikely, but if it does happen, the consequences are severe. Classic literature often tells us that men have higher risk of rhabdo than women. Next, rhabdo usually strikes someone who has been away from intense exercise for a while and then jumps back in with too much volume and intensity. Someone who has been very fit in the past and has taken six months off must ramp up volume slowly as he returns to intense exercise. This type of athlete has the mind and the determination to push himself beyond his body’s capabilities—where rhabdo lives.
What should I do to prevent rhabdo?
Gradually build up volume and intensity in your workouts, especially after a long break from exercise. Your first workout after a break in training should get your heart rate up and allow you to do some work, but it shouldn’t be crushing. You should leave the gym feeling better than when you arrived. Note that there is a time and a place for workouts that push your limits. Your first day back after a cruise to the Bahamas is not that time and place.
Don’t fear putting weight on the bar. Lifting heavy weight forces you to stop and prevents rhabdo. Rhabdo comes from performing way too many reps at a light to medium load.
Hydrate before, during, and after your workout.
