Let's Just Take a Step Back on The Iowa Situation

As most of you have heard 13 Iowa football players have been hospitalized due to Rhabdomyolysis. Go ahead and read the wiki link, but you get this jist. Muscle fibers tear releasing toxins into the blood, which can then cause kidney and liver failure.

Thankfully, they all seem to be in stable condition.

If you want to do more reading Crossfit has a quick article on the risks and factors leading to Rhabdo, as it is a concern in their intense workouts.


(Crossfit's official Rhabdo mascot.)

It's good during these situations to sit back and let things play out and hear opinions from professionals who actually know what they're talking about. (Iowa and doctors haven't said much)

Unfortunately I like to read and wait to see what experts say and inform myself on issues surrounding the situation, but CBS sports Dennis Dodd doesn't, and he's here to save the day!!!

First, I guess the title 'The killing field" would have been a little over the top?

Now, I'm not defending what Iowa did, making someone squat #240 for 100 is fairly dumb. Nor do I think psychotic workouts are a smart way to build toughness.

However, I do have a problem with insinuating coaches try to kill players in the offseason, and that this is some isolated case ONLY brought on by the intense physical activity.

As you can tell Rhabdo is a threat to all athletes, especially endurance athletes like marathoners and triathletes. However, Rhabdo has affected a surprisingly diverse array of activities. Including:

-Ultimate Frisbee
-A guy doing curls
-Mechanical Bull Riding
-Conga Drumming
-Karate
-A prison hazing ritual requiring a man to move chess pieces with his ass

Dodd would also lead you to believe that this is an isolated incident. (In the sense that it happened with football to a number of individuals.) But it has happened to 24 High School Football players in Oregon.

Now, I think it's pretty clear that the physical activity had a lot to do with it, but there are other factors.

If you read the Times article, a diagnostic of Rhabdo is increased levels of creatine, which is why those doctors wanted to see if the players were taking creatine.

Dehydration can also attribute to Rhabdo which is why the Iowa doctor referenced Diarrhea.

Again, I'm going to let the doctors tell me what went wrong instead of hoping a conclusion will come true so I can continue grinding my axe against a coach.

I agree with Dodd's premise that something needs to change, but blaming it on culture, and calling it the killing season? Seems a little disingenuous and a cry for page views.

I mean someone is going to read that and think CFB coaches are now currently running every kid through some insane torture workout where they have no concern of players well being. (Rhabdo signs usually come after workouts)

I just wish when something horrible like this happens people woudln't assume the sky is falling and everyone is evil. Instead why don't we focus on practicle solutions like a training staff seperate from the school who can step in and stop workouts, without fear of losing their job or pissing off the coach. Increased emphasis on hydration, and supplement education?

I'll leave it to the experts.