Are you a believer in CrossFit? Get off the bandwagon because you could work yourself to death. For those of you who don’t understand what I just said at all because you don’t know what CrossFit is, CrossFit is a workout regiment which includes quick “all out” sets with maximum weight that push the subject to the brink of exhaustion. CrossFit is very popular amongst police officers, Army Rangers, and athletes, but recent studies and cases show that CrossFit could be dangerous and even deadly. While CrossFit provides some benefits for the average gymgoer, weight training and cardio will produce the same results or close to them in a longer period of time, so is it worth it? Should you risk your health for your favorite CrossFit workout?

CrossFit is sweeping the nation as a popular high intensity workout, but it has been strongly linked to rhabdomyolysis (or Rhaddo) specifically Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (ER). ER can best be described as “The breakdown of muscle from extreme physical exertion.” (Wikipedia) The muscle fibers then leak into the blood stream and cause kidney failure. (Wikipedia) So, what does CrossFit have to do with ER? Greg Glassman of the CrossFit Journal explains in his Article. Glassman first acknowledges CrossFit, a workout he endorses, is dangerous: “As it turns out, the burning is rhabdo, and we now find ourselves obligated not just to explain CrossFit’s potency but to warn of its potential lethality.” Glassman explains further that CrossFit workouts have lead to multiple cases of ER: “To date we have seen five cases of exertional rhabdo associated with CrossFit workouts. Each case resulted in the hospitalization of the afflicted.” While the longest stay was just six days the pain felt by the afflicted victim, “a SWAT guy” (as described by Glassman) was so bad that a morphine drip only “Prevented him from screaming”. So a trained former SWAT guy, who now works as a sheriff according to Glassman, came down with ER from CrossFit why wouldn’t the average gym goer? Is this excruciating pain and danger to your body worth the marginal gains you get?

Other sources have also reported that CrossFit can cause ER. Liam Hallam reported that CrossFit, among other things, can contribute to ER in adults in his Article. Hallam stated “Exertional rhabdomyolysis often occurs when exercisers over-exert themselves in the gym, often as a resuly of performing an extreme amount of repetitions at unaccustomed weight levels for extended periods of time which seems to follow many of the CrossFit WOD’s published online and in Boxes across the globe.” Hallam discusses in his Article that this didn’t happen intentionally and CrossFit organizers who are putting out these “WODs” (Workout of the Day” aren’t trying to have you over exhaust yourself, but it is a risk you take when preforming CrossFit. Hallam does state how right now there is not enough evidence to declare CrossFit completely dangerous because the findings are anecdotal and therefore not overwhelming in number: “Unfortunately there are currently no scientific figures available on the prevalence of rhabdomyolysis in CrossFit to confirm or deny these claims. Only anecdotal details of it’s sufferers which sadly does not confirm an increased incidence in the CrossFit population.” So maybe there isn’t enough evidence to declare CrossFit deadly or extremely dangerous, but there are risks involved in doing it.

Another alarming element to CrossFit is how the ER “sneaks up on you”. Glassman further states in his Article; “The victims were not excessively panting, straining, grunting, or otherwise expressing abnormal discomfort from the workouts.” Glassman even discussed how athletes who did marginal low-intensity workouts came down with ER after CrossFit exercises. This is terrifying. If an athlete can get that sick after a small workout, why can’t you; and if the effects of ER are so hard to detect how could you even prevent it? Simple answer: don’t do CrossFit.

In conclusion, is CrossFit safe? there is not overwhelming evidence that says it isn’t, but there is a high risk involved in doing it. Even the founders and supporters of CrossFit like Greg Glassman  warn of the dangers of CrossFit and specify that cases of ER do come from CrossFit workouts. The five findings are anecdotal, so these stories may just be blips on the radar, but I wouldn’t risk it. Personally I weight train everyday and have never been caught up in the “hoopla” over CrossFit. If you lift weights properly and push yourself doing that then there is no reason to even take the risk of CrossFit. Weight training, cardio, and diet will yield similar results to those of CrossFit, so even if it isn’t proven highly dangerous why take the risk? People have gotten ER while doing CrossFit and the numbers are not always reported, so why take the risk? I sure wouldn’t after reading this, but since the findings are anecdotal I can’t definitively say CrossFit is dangerous. If you do decide to do CrossFit, just get supervised and be careful.