Delhi: 18-year-old lands in the ICU after excess gymming

NEW DELHI: Undertaking vigorous exercises out of the blue can be harmful. It can lead to muscle breakdown and, in rare cases, kidney damage due to release of a protein called myoglobin.
Lakshay Bindra, an 18-year-old youth, suffered the same after he hit the gym recently and took up vigorous exercises to make up for the time lost during the lockdown.He began to suffer from extreme muscle fatigue, body stiffness and pain, along with vomiting. When the symptoms didn’t improver for three days, the teen was rushed to Max Super Specialty Hospital in Patparganj.
Dr Dilip Bhalla, senior consultant, department of renal and kidney transplant at the hospital, said the patient came with acute pain in the abdomen, black-coloured urine with reduced urine output, and deranged kidney and liver function.
“He was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a health condition in which acute muscle breakdown occurs. This in turn releases certain enzymes in the bloodstream, leading to kidney malfunction,” Dr Bhalla said. He added that Bindra was immediately wheeled into ICU and started on IV fluids to maintain hydration and provide nutrients to his muscles. “Gentle physiotherapy was conducted for several days to soothe his muscles. In addition, he needed two sessions of dialysis as his kidneys had stopped functioning totally. Slowly, as days passed, the patient started improving. His muscle stiffness and pain began to subside gradually, even as he slowly regained muscle power,” the doctor added.
According to Dr Bhalla, the patient’s kidneys have revived and are fully functional now.
Dr Abbas Ali Khatai, attending consultant, emergency medicine at Max Patparganj, said every person’s body reacts differently to exercise regimens. “It is essential to know the limitations of one’s own body, stay hydrated and get proper professional guidance when exercising – be it weightlifting, yoga, cardio or cross-fit. Aggressive, unaccustomed exercise leads to accumulation of acid in the muscles which leads to breakdown of muscle protein,” he said.