12 varsity lacrosse players diagnosed with rare muscle injuries after practice

A dozen Tufts University men’s lacrosse players have been diagnosed with a rare muscle injury after participating in a voluntary, supervised 45-minute team practice, a university spokesman said Friday .

Five of the players who were diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis remained hospitalized Friday, according to Patrick Collins, director of media relations at the Medford, Mass., school.

Monday’s training was led by a university graduate who had completed Navy SEAL training.

Rhabdomyolysis is a rare muscle injury in which a person’s muscles break down, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It is a life-threatening condition that can occur after an injury or excessive exercise without rest.

Both the number of confirmed cases and the number of those hospitalized could change, Collins said.

“Our thoughts are with the players and their families, and we hope they make a speedy return to health under the care of local medical experts,” Collins said in a written 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 member of the team has been assessed and medically cleared to return to participation,” he added.

Given the seriousness of the injuries, the school is appointing an outside, independent investigator to conduct a thorough review as quickly as possible with the goal of taking whatever steps are necessary to support the safety of the school’s student-athletes, he said.

The university is still learning about the circumstances that led to the injuries, he said, and cannot provide additional details until the investigation is complete.

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