BOSTON — A dozen Tufts University men's lacrosse players have been diagnosed with a rare muscle injury after participating in a voluntary, supervised 45-minute workout held by the team, a university spokesman said.
Five of the players diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis remained hospitalized Friday, according to Patrick Collins, the school's director of media relations.
Monday's training was led by a college graduate who had completed Navy SEAL training.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, rhabdomyolysis is an injury in which a person's muscles waste away. This potentially life-threatening condition can occur after another injury or excessive exercise without rest.
Both the number of confirmed cases and the number of hospitalized people could change, Collins said.
“Our thoughts are with the players and their families, and we hope they quickly return to good health under the care of local medical experts,” Collins said in a written statement.
“In the meantime, we are closely monitoring the condition of the remainder of the team and have postponed all team practice activities until each team member has been evaluated and medically cleared to return to participation,” he added.
Given the severity of the injuries, Tufts is appointing an independent, outside investigator to conduct a thorough review as quickly as possible, with the goal of taking all necessary steps to support the safety of the school's student-athletes, he said.
The university is still learning about the circumstances that led to the injuries, he said, and cannot provide additional details until the investigation is complete.
