American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release Apr 25, 2003

OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS:  A potentially fatal muscle condition known as “exertional rhabdomyolysis” is more prevalent than commonly thought. This was the message E. Randy Eichner, MD, presented to attendees of the 12th Annual Meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine held last week in San Diego. Dr. Eichner presented to attendees of the 12th Annual Meeting of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine held last week in San Diego. Dr. Eichner presented several cases, including 14-year old Kourtni Livingston, who had sickle cell trait and died of a fulminant form of rhabdomyolysis, from sickling during running laps – on the first day of basketball practice at her Texas high school. Exertional rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle that may result from a variety of causes in combination with exercise, including heat exposure, illness, dehydration, and use of stimulants or of certain cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Rhabdomyolysis is often viewed as a serious condition possibly affecting the kidneys and in fulminant cases, even the heart. However, Dr. Eichner noted that many case reports, as well as studies performed in athletes, military, and police cadets, indicate that milder cases are now being identified, some of which can be managed outside the hospital with fluids and rest. Symptoms include muscle soreness, weakness and brown urine. He noted that rhabdomyolysis is largely preventable using a “common sense” approach to exercise. This includes gradually increasing training levels, avoiding exercise when sick or dehydrated, and avoiding use of stimulants, such as ephedrine. Dr. Eichner is a team physician for the University of Oklahoma, and a founding member of the AMSSM.

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) was organized in 1991 by a group of physicians who recognized the need for an organization within the field of sports medicine that approached athletes, exercising individuals, and teams comprehensively with consultative and continuous care of their orthopedic, medical, nutritional, and psychosocial issues. Although sports medicine concepts are often thought of in conjunction with professional and elite athletes, these concepts apply to athletes of all levels including grade school, high school, college and recreational athletes (“weekend athletes”). AMSSM is comprised of Sports Medicine Physicians whose goal is to provide a link between the rapidly expanding core of knowledge related to sports medicine and its application to patients in a clinical setting.