A fitness challenge left a South Carolina gym enthusiast with a life-threatening condition that caused her muscles to break down and release toxins into her bloodstream, severely damaging her kidneys.
Jessica Johnson, a 25-year-old health worker, was attempting the “Murph Challenge,” an intense workout sponsored by CrossFit and Forged, which involves running a mile, completing 300 squats, 200 push-ups, and 100 pull-ups, followed by another mile run.
After finishing the challenge, Johnson initially dismissed her swollen arms as typical soreness from a tough workout. “I thought, ‘They’ll go down, it’s fine,’” Johnson told Kennedy News Agency. However, the swelling persisted, and she noticed that despite drinking plenty of water, her urine had become darker. Alarmed, she sought medical attention, where tests revealed she had rhabdomyolysis, a condition where muscle fibers break down and release toxins into the bloodstream, potentially leading to kidney failure.
Doctors intervened by cutting her arms to relieve the swelling, and while her kidneys were damaged, they were ultimately saved. Johnson has since made a full recovery but admits the experience was a “wake-up call.” She now plans to focus on more gentle exercise, warning others that “doing too aggressive of a workout is not good for you and not healthy.”
