03/06/2026
I accidentally gave myself rhabdomyolysis.
In the weeks leading up to the CrossFit Open I had stacked several stressors together:
• Lost about 10 lbs in 3 weeks
• Intermittent fasting
• Frequent sauna use
• Pushing training intensity after being slightly detrained
After a hard Echo Bike + burpee workout, I woke up around 2 AM violently sick — vomiting, diarrhea, and severe muscle cramping.
The next day something felt off. Even handing clients weights in the clinic, the weights felt way heavier than normal.
Then I noticed the real warning sign.
I drank nearly 200 oz of water, but had less than 10 oz of urine output, and when it finally came out it looked like dark tea / coffee.
At that point I knew I was in trouble.
I contacted several medical providers and received multiple IV hydration bags. Only after aggressive fluids did things start to improve. Over the next 72 hours and several liters of fluid, my urine output normalized, the body aches settled, and my appetite returned.
Looking back, I should have gone immediately to a physician for labs and CK levels when the urine changes appeared.
The reality is rhabdo usually happens when multiple stressors stack up.
For me it was:
• Detrained
• Dehydrated
• Weight cutting
• Ego pushing harder than my body was ready for
If you train hard, know the warning signs:
Severe muscle pain
Dark urine
Low urine output
Extreme fatigue
Your body will always send signals.
Listen to them.
