12 Tufts University lacrosse players diagnosed with life-threatening injury after 45 minute workout

The national championship-winning Tufts University lacrosse program is reeling after a dozen players were diagnosed with the same life-threatening condition.

Twelve players from the Tufts University men’s lacrosse team have all been diagnosed with the same potentially life-threatening muscle condition after participating in a 45-minute workout last week.

The Massachusetts-based Tufts, who were crowned NCAA Div. III National Champions in May, saw 12 players diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis with five remaining hospitalised as of Friday.

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According to the Cleveland Clinic, rhabdomyolysis is a rare injury where you muscles to break down or disintegrate, potentially leading to muscle death.

The condition can be life-threatening when “toxic components of your muscle fibres enter your circulation system and kidneys” and can cause kidney damage.

Every year 26,000 Americans are diagnosed with the condition which can result from “excessive exercise without rest”. Trauma, medications or underlying health issues can also cause the serious condition.

The players were diagnosed after participating in what has been reported as a voluntary, supervised 45-minute workout which was led by a graduate of the university who had completed Navy SEAL training.

Head coach Casey D’Annolfo was not present at the session.

Players in action. Photo: Instagram

Tufts University director of media relations Patrick Collins released a statement, confirming the number of confirmed cases and those hospitalised could still change as 50 students had taken part in 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 in a written statement.

“Meanwhile, we are closely monitoring the condition of the rest of the team and have postponed all team practice activities until each team member has been evaluated and medically cleared to return to participation.”

The statement added the university is reportedly set to appoint an external, independent investigator to look into the drama, and that it is still gathering information about what led to the injuries.

Collins said the university could not provide any more detail until the investigation is complete.

However, Tufts student Cooper Kolehmainen told 10 Boston: “I was honestly impressed with their strength to be able to push themselves that much.”

The team celebration the national championship. Photo: Instagram

The players celebrate after scoring a goal. Photo: Instagram

Dr Shruti Gupta of Brigham and Women’s Hospital told WCVB in Boston that the condition usually presents with an underlying genetic condition or a trauma, adding that it was strange for 12 young men to all present with the condition at the same time.

“I will say that is very rare,” she said.

“Usually, we see these cases more in isolation. So it’s puzzling for it to happen and particularly to people who are athletes. And so it’s possible there’s sort of more to the story.”

The No. 8 Tufts took out the program’s fourth NCAA Div. III national championship title and first since 2015 with an 18-14 win in the final against the No. 2 ranked Rochester Institute of Technology in the final in May.

NCAA Div. III consists of universities and colleges who don’t offer athletic scholarships to student athletes.

It is the NCAA’s largest division with around 450 schools.