Spinning, or indoor cycling, emerged as a hype alternative to exercising outdoors. However, similar to any sport, it can lead to injuries when not done right.
A woman in Singapore came down with Rhabdomyolysis – a life-threatening condition due to muscle breakdown – after going for a spin class.
She shared that she faced renal failure, and was immediately hospitalised.
Thankfully, she’s since recovered. But she wishes to caution the public on the importance of hydration following intense exercise, and knowing one’s limits.
She also stresses that any overly strenuous activity can cause rhabdo, and not just spin class.
On Monday (15 Mar), Ms Lau took to Facebook to share her unfortunate experience following a spin class.
Recounting in Chinese, she said that she’d gone to a spin class on 7 Mar. Her legs felt weak immediately afterwards, and she could barely walk.
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In the 3 days that followed, she experienced extreme pain while walking, and couldn’t squat down or get up.
She’d thought it was normal muscular soreness from the lack of exercise.
However, she realised something was horribly wrong when her urine turned tea-coloured on 11 Mar.
Ms Lau then visited a nearby clinic the same night at 11pm, and was referred to a hospital’s Accident & Emergency department for an urgent urine test.
At 2am the next day, her test results came back indicative of Rhabdomyolysis. Cleveland Clinic defines it as a life-threatening condition from muscle injury.
According to Ms Lau’s doctor, her muscle breakdown was extremely severe, as her creatine kinase (CK) level was over 300 times the normal value.
CK is a protein released by muscles when they break down.
Therefore, she needed immediate hospitalisation, lest she risks renal failure.
After 4 days’ hospitalisation where she drank tons of water for hydration, her CK levels gradually dropped and she could be discharged.
Through sharing her experience, Ms Lau wants to caution everyone that Rhabdomyolysis can result from any intense exercise, and not just spin classes.
For beginners of the sport, you can refer here for beginner-friendly spin classes in Singapore.
Crucially, we ought to sufficiently hydrate ourselves following intense exercises, know our limits and visit a doctor immediately if experiencing similar symptoms.
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Featured image adapted from Unsplash and Facebook.
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