Gemma Underwood, 41, found she was unable to move her upper body the morning after an intense work out and was later rushed to hospital with a potentially deadly condition
News Antony Clements-Thrower News Reporter 07:55, 21 Apr 2025
A karate student who dismissed symptoms thinking she was just sore after an intense class was later diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.
Gemma Underwood attended her regular class last month but when she woke up the next day found she was unable to move her upper body. She was also suffering with severe pain in her shoulders and arms which “ballooned in size” and she struggled to even get out of bed. However it was only when the 41-year-old noticed she was passing very dark urine the same colour as "cola" that she was rushed to to seek medical help.
Blood tests revealed Gemma had rhabdomyolysis, a life-threatening condition causing muscle breakdown. The condition is often caused by high-intensity exercise. It causes muscles to break down and release harmful substances that can lead to organ failure and death.
Gemma, from Ayr, South Ayrshire, said: "It felt really scary, it can be life-threatening so I panicked. I attended my regular karate class and on Friday I felt a bit sore but quite normal for the day after strenuous exercise.
"I first noticed something was off when I couldn't move my upper body to get out of bed on Saturday morning. I thought I had just over done it a bit at karate but the pain was disproportionate to the workout.
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"I always get slightly sore muscles after exercise but certainly not as intense. I was trying to sit up to get out of bed when I felt the muscle pain but was unable to. The muscles in my arms became very swollen and tight.
"When I noticed my urine was very dark I looked online to see if this was a symptom of any condition, it quickly alerted me to rhabdomyolysis.
"It's something that can happen to anyone and what doctors said was that I wasn't hydrated enough while doing an intense workout. I should have been drinking more water before.
"I was very scared knowing I could have died but that gave me the motivation to go to A&E because obviously I didn't want to die.”
Gemma stayed in hospital for five days where she was put on IV fluid. Now home, Gemma is resting and drinking plenty of fluids as recovery can take months depending on complications. Despite being out of danger, Gemma said her muscles are still sore and the experience has left her feeling drained.
She added: “I'm very drained, my muscles are still quite sore. They said treatment can take a few weeks or a few months depending on complications.
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"I am currently resting, no exercise at all for at least three weeks, and drinking plenty of fluids. It's really important to know the symptoms, which are muscle pain, weak muscles and dark urine. Make sure you're hydrated before any workout. It doesn't matter how intense it is."
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