Unusual muscle disorder sends 13 Iowa players to hospital

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Recent heavy exercise is a possible cause that sent 13 University of Iowa Hawkeye football players to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics on Monday evening, but it's not the certain cause, a doctor said at a news conference today.

The players have rhabdomyolysis, a stress-induced syndrome that can damage cells and cause kidney failure in severe cases, school spokesman Tom Moore said at a news conference two days after the players were hospitalized in a Iowa City.

“I suppose the first thing you'd look at is that (a heavy workout) is the thing that's common among all 12 or 13 of them,” Dr. John Stokes of UIHC's Department of Internal Medicine said at the news conference.

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University spokesman Tom Moore said one more player was admitted Tuesday night, making a total of 13 players afflicted with the disorder. All are still hospitalized “in safe and stable condition”, and are responding to treatment, Moore said.

This condition is an acute breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. In serious cases, it could affect the kidney's ability to clear the toxins and has potential for permanent kidney failure

The school has said the players, whom they would not identify, were “in safe and stable condition” and responding well to treatment.

The exact details of the workout that might have led to this are unclear. Iowa players did recently participate in lower-body drills that included a series of 100 squats followed by sled work.

It's a drill the Iowa program has used in the past. It's a fast-paced workout that a former player described as the “worst experience in your life.”

NCAA rules allow winter workouts for football and they are industry standard.

Iowa athletics director Gary Barta said Ferentz “is aware of the situation and is being kept abreast of the progress being made.”

“Our No. 1 concern is the safety of our student-athletes, so we are pleased with the positive feedback,” Barta said in the release. ”Our next step is to find out what happened so we can avoid this happening in the future.”

- The Associated Press contributed to this report