Tufts University lacrosse players released after being hospitalized following workout

By Chandelis Duster

Published September 22, 2024 at 3:51 PM EDT

Tufts University Jumbos celebrate scoring during the Division III Men's Lacrosse Championship held at Lincoln Financial Field on May 26 in Philadelphia. Some Tufts lacrosse players were hospitalized after an intense workout last week.

Updated September 25, 2024 at 19:13 PM ET

All of the players on Tufts University’s men’s lacrosse team who were hospitalized after a workout last week have been released, the university said Wednesday.

University president Sunil Kumar said in a Wednesday statement that the team members, who had been admitted with the dangerous condition rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo), had "returned to good health." Several players had developed rhabdomyolsis after participating in a "voluntary, supervised, 45-minute workout" on Sept. 16, which was led by a Tufts alum who had recently graduated from a Navy SEAL training program, he said.

Patrick Collins, executive director of media relations at Tufts University, had said in a statement to NPR on Monday that about 50 players had participated in the workout, and nine of them had required hospitalization for rhabdomyolysis after everyone had been evaluated. As of Monday, three had remained in the hospital, while some other players had been medically cleared to resume training, Collins said.

Rhabdomyolysis, also known as rhabdo, happens when proteins and electrolytes from damaged muscle tissue are released into the bloodstream, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This could damage the kidneys and lead to kidney failure, seizures, permanent disability and even death, the agency says.

The condition can affect anyone, but athletes, firefighters, those who work outdoors and those who work in hot environments are at higher risk for developing rhabdo, the CDC says.

The alum who led the training most recently graduated from the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training program, or BUD/S, according to the university. The program is an intense, monthslong training program for Navy SEAL candidates.

The university has begun its independent investigation of the events that surrounded the workout, Kumar said, as well as the university's protocols around conditioning and training. No further public statements will be made while that happens to ensure a "thorough, unbiased investigation that ultimately leads to better and safer training practices for our student athletes," he said.

NPR has reached out to the U.S. Navy for comment.