A young man in Russia was hospitalized and treated for kidney failure after doing 2,000 squats to win a bet with a friend.

Doctors at the nephrology department at the Vladivostok Clinical Hospital No. 2, in Primorsky Krai, Russia, recently reported the unusual case of a man in his early 20s who was hospitalized with severely reduced kidney function as a result of physical overextension. The patient told doctors that his troubles began after winning a bet with a friend who challenged him to do 2,000 squats in a set period of time. Confident in his physical abilities, he accepted, but after completing the challenge, he began experiencing troubling symptoms. His legs, which had never failed him before, became sore and extremely swollen, his urine turned dark brown, and before long, he couldn’t urinate at all. Scared, he sought medical help and was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis.

Photo: Rinke Dohmen/Unsplash

Rhabdomyolysis is a potentially deadly medical condition that causes muscle tissue to break down and enter the bloodstream.  If left untreated, it can result in kidney failure, cardiac problems, and even death. In this particular case, the man’s leg muscle began to break down as a result of extreme physical effort, which caused a steep increase in the levels of creatinine and urea. A comprehensive examination revealed that his kidneys were only functioning at 50% capacity.

Luckily for the 20-something youth, doctors managed to cure acute renal failure without dialysis, but the damage caused by rhabdomyolysis to his kidneys will need time to heal. His kidney function is still reduced, and he will have to undergo rehabilitation treatment that could take between three months to a year.

“Strength lies not only in physical achievements but also in the ability to take care of your body,” a hospital press release read, warning that while sport is generally beneficial for health, it can have disastrous consequences when one goes beyond reasonable limits,

It’s unclear what the man won in his bet, but we doubt it was worth all this trouble…