EXERTIONAL RHABDOMYOLYSIS IN NAVAL AVIATION OFFICER CANDIDATES,
Abstract
In eight young men undergoing heavy repetitive exertion a syndrome of severe myalgia, myoglobinuria, elevated muscle-cell enzymes, and impaired muscle function persisting for weeks or months has been observed. Transient azotemia was present in six of the eight patients. There was a latent period of 30 to 40 hours after the extreme exercise task before myoglobinuria was noted, suggesting that exercise does not immediately cause maximal lysis of the skeletal muscle cell. The syndrome was not reproduced by stress testing after recovery. Thirty-eight aviation officer candidates were prospectively studied and the distribution of values of muscle-cell enzymes became negatively skewed after three days of intensive training. Four members of the prospective group had extreme enzyme values and two had myoglobinuria. The low incidence of overt rhabdomyolysis in a large, homogeneous population exposed to similar exercise stress conditions and the negatively skewed distribution of serum enzyme values in a sample of this population suggested that significant rhabdomyolysis occurs in certain predisposed individuals rather than in all poorly conditioned men assigned prolonged calisthenics. From these observations it is recommended that a graduated physical training program be adopted and single calisthenics carried to exhaustion be avoided. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0658312
Entities
People
- Raphael F. Smith
Organizations
- Naval Aerospace Medical Institute