BOSTON — Twelve Tufts University men's lacrosse players have been diagnosed with rare muscle injuries after participating in a voluntary, supervised 45-minute workout conducted by the team, a university spokesperson announced Friday.
Five of the players diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis remained hospitalized Friday, according to Patrick Collins, the school's director of public relations.
Monday's training was led by alumni from the university who have completed Navy SEAL training.
Rhabdomyolysis is a rare muscle injury that causes a person's muscles to break down. According to the Cleveland Clinic.
This is a life-threatening condition that can occur after an injury or after overexerting yourself without resting.
Collins said both the number of cases and hospitalizations are subject to change.
“Our thoughts are with the players and their families and we hope that they will return to good health quickly under the care of local medical professionals,” Collins said in a statement.
“In the meantime, we are closely monitoring the status of the remaining members of our team and have postponed all team practice activities until each member has been evaluated and medically cleared to return,” he added.
Given the seriousness of the injuries, the school aims to appoint an outside, independent investigator to conduct a thorough investigation as soon as possible and take any necessary steps to ensure the safety of the school's student-athletes, he said.
He said the university is still investigating the circumstances that led to the injury and could not release any further details until the investigation is complete.
