Several softball players at Butler County Community College have been diagnosed with a rare, potentially deadly condition after their first week of pre-season workouts. “It just got worse and worse and worse, so we sent them into the hospital and they got tested,” said Todd Carter, BCCC Athletic Director.
Carter says last Monday, the entire team and its coach jogged up the face of the El Dorado Lake dam and walked down it backwards four times. The early morning conditioning was followed by a scrimmage that night, and another one the next day.
“It wasn’t until Wednesday morning, 48 hours later, that all of the sudden a couple of them came to the athletic training staff and the coaches and said boy my calves are hurting,” said Carter.
What is on Rhabdomyolysis?
Six out of 21 players tested positive for Rhabdomyolysis; a muscle condition that could lead to kidney failure. Nearly a week later, three players remain in the hospital. “Their spirits are good,” said Carter. “Everybody’s fine with it and they all say that the workout they did wasn’t very hard, wasn’t very strenuous, and wasn’t very taxing. They don’t understand what was so unique about it either.”
We asked Carter if dehydration could have been a factor. He says it can be, but he says the morning the team practiced it was cool out. Carter says the women have unlimited access to water and Gatorade, too.
We also asked if coaches would be changing the workout routine. “I can remember our basketball teams doing it ten times and they only did it four,” said Carter. “So what would we do different? I don’t think we’ll walk down backwards, but I don’t think it was the running up four times that caused it.”
Coaches and trainers say they’ve never seen anything like this. Carter says the players are expected to make a full recovery and be back for the season.
FactFinder 12 researched the symptoms of Rhabdomyolysis.
We found it includes muscle stiffness or aching, and fatigue. In some cases you’ll notice dark red or brown-colored urine. Doctors tell us the condition can be caused by extreme body temperatures and severe dehydration. They say the best way to prevent it is to drink plenty of fluids during and after workouts.
“In the case for these young ladies, they are maybe used to working this hard, but maybe forgot how much water they have to consume with these workouts,” said Amy Seery, pediatrician. “If they didn’t stay on top of it for the next 24 hours, not even just immediately after the practice but the next 24 hours, that could have also contributed to this for them.”
The school released the following statement regarding the hospitalizations:
“Twenty-one Butler Community College softball players began pre-season training by having an early morning workout that consisted of jogging 80 yards up the face of the El Dorado dam. They did this four times. Later that evening, they all participated in an inner-squad scrimmage. The following day, three members reported to the athletic training room with calf muscle soreness. They were given ice bags, cold whirlpools and massages. That evening they had a second inter-squad scrimmage in which all participated.
On Wednesday morning, one member went to the Emergency Room after experiencing increased calf soreness. She was admitted for elevated creatine kinase (CK) levels consistent with exertional rhabdomyolysis. This is an uncommon condition characterized by the breakdown of skeletal muscle after engaging in physical activity. Another player experiencing similar pain in her calf muscles decided to get tested and was also admitted to the hospital. As a precaution, the staff requested that if anyone else was having similar calf pain to also get tested. Seven athletes were tested and four were admitted to the hospital. The remaining three athletes that were tested were negative for elevated CK levels.
Rhabdomyolysis signs and symptoms include pain, weakness and swelling in the affected muscles as well as significantly elevated levels of creatine kinase. As the fall sports seasons begin across the state of Kansas and the country, Todd Carter, Director of Athletics at Butler Community College, is urging all the coaches and athletic trainers to be aware of the potential for the development of this condition, and urges individuals to seek immediate medical assistance upon discovery.
Currently, three of the players have been released. The remaining members still hospitalized are expected to be released early this week.”
Six players with the Butler Community College softball program are hospitalized over practice-related injuries.
Sources tell Eyewitness News the six players were taken at various times over the course of the week, which was the Grizzlies’ first week of practice.
The athletic director has confirmed they were hospitalized for practice-related reasons.
Two players are in good condition and a third has already been discharged from the hospital. We have not gotten any information
regarding the other three players.
We will continue to follow the story as it develops.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.kwch.com/news/local-news/six-softball-players-at-butler-cc-hospitalized-with-practicerelated-injuries/34739694