'That level of pain still haunts me': Woman ends up in A&E after first spin class

Spin cycling seems like a fun activity to do with the loud pumping music and being surrounded by a group of energetic individuals.

However, the outcome turned out quite differently for one woman who was all excited for her first spin class.

Vivien, a Lemon8 user posted on July 20 of how she ended up at an A&E after her first spin class session that week.

She wrote: "The instructor was really kind and patient with me, going through the "beginner's talk" with me to prep me for the session."

As energetic as she could be, Vivien shared that she managed to keep up with the instructor for about 15 minutes.

But she said that her legs started to get tired and she decided to stop as she knew that she could not sustain the intensity any further.

Vivien wrote: "More than half the remaining session, my butt was fixed on the saddle and I was just vibing along with the class."

When she stood up after the 50-minute spin cycling session ended, she almost fell to the floor.

Vivien added: "I laughed, everyone laughed."

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She shared that she does not live an active lifestyle and so, she expected her legs to feel sore after the spin cycling session.

However, as days went by, Vivien shared that the pain from her sore legs became unbearable.

"I knew something was wrong, very very wrong as I could no longer bend my legs without feeling this excruciating pain in my thighs," Vivien said.

"I had so much trouble answering nature's call as I really could not get myself to sit on the toilet bowl without screaming out in pain. That's how bad it was."

She later headed to Raffles Hospital's A&E where she was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis – a breakdown of muscle from extreme physical exertion. 

It is a serious medical condition that can be fatal or result in permanent disability.

She added that her Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK) enzyme level – a protein that helps to elicit chemical changes in your body found in your heart, brain, and skeletal muscles – in her blood was over 11,000 micrograms per litre (mcg/l).

The normal range of CPK level should be anywhere between 10 to 120. Therefore, high levels of CPK usually indicate some sort of stress or injury to your heart or other muscles.

Vivien wrote that she was hospitalised for a week and her blood levels had to be checked daily ensure that her CPK level would drop.

"That level of pain is still haunting me. One of the worst pains I have felt in my life, goodness," Vivien said.

Hoping that her story would be a reminder to readers to not ignore one's bodily signals, she said: "If you do feel an increase in pain level after your spin lessons, this is an obvious sign that you are also suffering from Rhabdomyolysis!"

Following her intuition to visit the doctors despite her friends and family telling her that "it was no big deal", Vivien said: "I'm so glad I did! So always have trust in yourself, you will know it when something is wrong with your own body! Better to be safe than sorry guys!"

AsiaOne has reached out to Vivien for comment.

Rise in muscle breakdown cases from spin cycling

With the popularity of spin cycling, there has been an increase in the number of patients suffering from muscle breakdown due to extreme physical exertion, reported the Straits Times in 2021.

Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, for example, said it has seen an increased number of cases, with 27 recorded in the first four months of that year.

The Singapore General Hospital said it had an average of four cases a month in 2020 and it went up to 10 cases a month in 2021.

Changi General Hospital's (CGH) doctors involved in the study suggested that when signing up spinning classes, one should start with lower levels of intensity, especially for those who have led sedentary lifestyles.

Dr Rupeng Mong, a senior consultant in CGH's emergency department advised that if one get cramps in arms, chest pain or sharp pain associated with swelling during the spinning, one should stop and seek medical help.

Dr Mong said: "No matter what the exercise, people should start with small amounts of exercise and gradually increase the frequency, intensity and duration of physical activity over time, to avoid any exercise-induced injuries."

The study further added that when engaging in intense exercises like spin cycling, one should also be warned against overexerting and about preventive measures such as warming up and having enough fluids.

Beatrice Chong, founder of Physiotherabeat wrote in her blog that apart from rhabdomyolysis, other more commonly seen issues from spin cycling include that of musculoskeletal injuries like back, knee and neck pain.

"These conventionally stem from poor posture of the rider, incorrect bicycle set-up and poor pedaling technique." Chong wrote.

ALSO READ: 'My pee turned brown like kopi-o kosong': Woman's first spin class lands her in A&E

ashwini.balan@asiaone.com