Five Tufts lacrosse players hospitalized after Navy SEAL workout

Local News

Twelve players were diagnosed with rhabdo, a potentially life-threatening condition where muscles break down, after a 45-minute workout on Monday.

Five Tufts University lacrosse players were still hospitalized as of Friday, days after a dozen athletes were injured following a workout led by a Tufts and Navy SEAL training program alumnus, a spokesperson said.

Patrick Collins, a spokesperson for the university, said 12 members of the men’s lacrosse team were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, or rhabdo, which is a life-threatening condition after a workout on Monday. It’s characterized as a rare muscle injury when muscles break down into the blood, sometimes due to overexertion.

Rhabdo can damage kidneys, cause seizures, and lead to permanent disability or death, according to the Center for Disease Control. 

The university said they are commissioning an external, independent investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the situation.

Collins said 50 people participated in the 45-minute workout on Monday on campus, which was led by the alumnus who is a recent graduate of the BUD/S Navy SEAL training program. Collins called the workout “voluntary” and “supervised.”

BUD/S Navy SEAL, short for Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL, is a 56-week, multi-stage initial training program for Navy SEAL candidates, according to the Navy. The training “is designed to push you to your physical and mental limits,” according to the website.

No details about the workout itself were released.

The spokesperson said all lacrosse team activities are currently postponed, and the condition of the rest of the team is being monitored. He noted the number of rhabdo cases and hospitalizations could change. 

The Boston Globe reported that head coach Casey D’Annolfo was not present during the workout.

“Our thoughts are with the players and their families, and we are hoping for their quick return to good health under the care of local medical experts,” Collins said. 

Dr. David Leaf, a nephrologist and director of Clinical and Translational Research in Acute Kidney Injury at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told the Globe that it’s concerning that the players were still hospitalized days after the workout.

“Some of these people may have organ damage,” he told the paper, noting the severity of their muscle damage also may not have stabilized yet. “Because otherwise, a young healthy kid with just a little bit of muscle injury, you wouldn’t need to keep him in the hospital necessarily. You could just have them hydrate at home and watch them carefully.”

The Tufts men’s lacrosse team is the national champion of the NCAA Division III