12 Tufts Lacrosse Players Diagnosed with Life-Threatening Muscle Injury After Workout

After participating in a 45-minute workout this week, 12 Tufts University men's lacrosse players have been diagnosed with a rare muscle injury known as rhabdomyolysis, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

Of the 12 players diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, five remained hospitalized on Friday. The rare condition is an injury that occurs when a person's muscles break down and can happen after excessive exercise without rest or can stem from another injury.

According to the Associated Press, the workout, which was voluntary and supervised, was led by a graduate of the university who had completed Navy SEAL training.

Patrick Collins, the university's director of media relations, said that the number of confirmed cases and the number of athletes hospitalized could change.

"Our thoughts are with the players and their families, and we are hoping for their quick return to good health under the care of local medical experts," Collins said in a written statement, per the Associated Press.

"Meanwhile, we are closely monitoring the condition of the rest of the team and have postponed all team practice activities until each team member has been evaluated and medically cleared to return to participation," he added.

According to the Associated Press, Tufts is hiring an external, independent investigator to conduct a review as soon as possible. Collins also said the university will take any steps needed to support the safety of the school's student-athletes.

Collins said that Tufts is still learning how the injuries occurred and can't provide any more details until the conclusion of the investigation.