Paleo-zone diet = anti-rhabdo-diet?

[Seth Drown]

For those of you following the discussion on rhabdomyolysis in the "community" forum thread on Bill Fox:

I had never heard of this condition before, so I did a little research on it. It appears that diet might play a role in reducing whatever innate risks we may have for getting it.
If you follow the link below, you will see that many of the suggested treatments involve increased hydration and potassium/calcium levels to insure a net-alkaline load for the kidneys. It would seem to make sense that a diet high in fresh fruits and veggies would provide adequate levels of potassium, calcium, and water to reduce the risks of rhabdo. Dairy products, meats, grains, and legumes report to the kidneys as a net-acid load. That doesn't mean we should avoid quality protein sources, but we should definitely reduce unnecessary sources of acid-base foods (legumes, grains, dairy) and eat plenty of fresh produce to balance those that we do eat. To readers of Loren Cordain, this will be nothing new, but it's yet another reason for crossfitters to make sure our diet is as "clean" as possible.

http://www.mcphu.edu/continuing/cme/...ogen/treat.htm

I would love to know something about the diets of the people who contract rhabdo. Larry and Eugene, do you know anything about the diets of the guys you knew who got it?

Strangely, the only research I could find on diet and rhabdo is on race horses:

http://www.blueseal.com/techtips/dietary_fat_and_controlling_rhabdomyolysis_in_h orses.htm

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=9 604030&dopt=Abstract

Apparently, the ratios of carbs and fats in the diet plays a role in horses, but whether it does in humans is anybody's guess.

[George Shelton]

Rhabdo- Rarely seen in normal healthy individuals unless they have received an electrical shock, burns or crush injury. Exercise induced is fairly unusual.
Some CPK elevation is common in blood levels after exertion but finding uromyoglobin is unusual.
Some challenges like chronic alcoholism or severe epilepsy(multiple seizures like in status epilepticus)can cause it.

[Eugene R. Allen]

Brian was just in my office and I asked him about his diet prior to the Uncle Rhabdo visit. He told me he ate like crap. He said he had 2 or 3 sodas per day, lots of carbs and very few vegetables. He said his diet was very unbalanced and he spent time each morning at Starbucks.

I suppose lots of people eat like this and don't get rhabdo but perhaps a lot of people who get rhabdo do eat like this.

[Robert Wolf]

Eugene-

I asked on the the MD's at our hospital (a nephrologist specializing in dialysis no less) about rhabdo. He said exercise is certianly a viable stimulus and he said it is most frequently seen in new military recruits. People un accustomed to exercise volume/intensity, sleep deprived and bad diet? he also mentioned that a viral infection (influenza) can really make things worse.

I was thinking aobut your original post here and the Zone supplies adequate protein, but not so much that one is overwhelming the kidneys, loads of veggies are at least a possibility for the net alkalanizing action. the Zone may be therapeutic in ways we never thought of.
Robb