Eager to kickstart her fitness journey, one woman, who goes by the name Gloria, signed up for her first-ever spin class. 

Unfortunately, instead of looking forward to her next session, she said that she ended up checking into the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department for a muscle condition called rhabdomyolysis. 

She did not say which hospital she visited. 

In a TikTok uploaded yesterday (Oct 11), Gloria shared that she had attended the spin class on Friday (Oct 7) and began to feel some pain the same night. 

She initially thought that she had Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), but on Saturday (Oct 8), the pain "got worse" and come Sunday, her urine "turned brown", she posted. 

While she jokingly compared the colour of her pee to a cup of kopi-o kosong — black coffee without sugar — the pain was unbearable to the point where she decided it would be best to visit a general practitioner (GP) to get some medication. 

However, she said her condition turned out to be so serious that she was referred by that GP to visit the A&E. 

There, she said she was hooked up to an IV and underwent a blood and urine test.

The tests revealed that the Creatine Kinase levels — which is the waste product of muscle damage — in her blood were abnormally high, she said. 

Gloria said she was placed in an observation ward where she was hooked up to more IV drips. She was then warded, she posted. 

While she shared that she is now feeling better, she added that the hospital won't be discharging her till tomorrow (Oct 13). 

In the comments, Gloria admitted that she may have gotten rhabdomyolysis because she "can't cycle" and had "never really used these muscles before". 

However, she also said that she "went slow" and did not push herself too hard. 

Some netizens pointed fingers at the instructors for overloading students who were of different fitness levels.

But Gloria said that they weren't to blame as the instructors had even reminded students to go at a comfortable pace. 

AsiaOne has reached out to Gloria for more details. 

After Gloria shared her story, several people commented that they too have had similar experiences.

In March last year, a woman called Atrina Lau shared that she almost lost her life after getting rhabdomyolysis. 

She too had attended an indoor cycling class and after which, her legs turned "jelly" and she was unable to sit or squat. 

Similar to Gloria, Lau only realised her condition was serious after her urine turned a dark colour. 

The doctor also told her that her case was so severe that she was even at the risk of kidney failure. 

Last year, The Straits Times reported that Khoo Teck Puat Hospital saw an increase in rhabdomyolysis cases, with 27 recorded in the first four months of 2021. 

While spin classes aren't the only cause of rhabdomyolysis, hospitals noted that there were "an increasing number of patients with spin-induced rhabdomyolysis", especially after March 2020. 

Rupeng Mong, a senior consultant in the department, also said then that the condition "may cause serious complications including kidney failure or even death". 

Mong recommended that no matter what is 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.

melissateo@asiaone.com 

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