Five college athletes hospitalized after training with Navy SEAL

Five athletes from the Tufts University men’s lacrosse team are hospitalized with a serious and life-threatening muscle disease after training with a U.S. Navy sailor who recently completed Navy SEAL training.

A dozen members of the lacrosse team were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis after participating in practice on Monday, Sept. 16, a Tufts University spokesperson confirmed to Task & Purpose. Five of those athletes were hospitalized due to the severity of their condition; Tufts said that number is subject to change, but as of press time, it was only five. About 50 athletes participated in the 45-minute voluntary workout, which was led by the sailor, himself a Tufts University graduate.

Rhabdomyolysis, or “rhabdo,” is a condition in which muscles are essentially broken down excessively by high-intensity exercise. Proteins and enzymes leak into the bloodstream, with risks ranging from nausea and vomiting to more serious consequences like kidney failure, disability and even death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although the condition is rare, it has been known to occur during high-intensity activities and physical training, from collegiate sports to CrossFit.

It’s not clear what the training consisted of exactly, and the sailor who led the training was not identified by the university. He was described as having “recently” completed a SEAL training course. The university confirmed to Task & Purpose that the sailor was invited by the lacrosse team to coach the athletes.

“Our thoughts are with the players and their families and we hope they make a speedy recovery under the care of local medical experts,” university spokesman Patrick Collins said in a statement. “In the meantime, we are closely monitoring the condition of the rest of the team and have postponed all team training activities until each team member has been evaluated and medically cleared to return.

The men’s lacrosse team won the national championship earlier this year in May and competes in Division III.

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A study published in April by the Defense Health Agency examined cases of rhabdomyolysis in the U.S. military from 2019 to 2023. It described rhabdomyolysis as a “largely preventable condition” that “persistently exists as an occupational hazard in military training and deployments.”

Navy SEAL training is grueling and has resulted in injuries and deaths. Some deaths have been due to accidents, while others have died during the selection course, known as “Hell Week,” which includes Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL, or BUD/S, training.

In 2017, three University of Oregon football players were hospitalized after intense sports training, with one of them suffering from rhabdomyolysis. The university later apologized for the incident. In 2011, 13 University of Iowa football players were diagnosed with the disease.

The university launched an investigation into the incident last week, Collins said in a statement, “with the goal of taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our student-athletes.”

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