IT’S NOT JUST FOR CROSSFIT: As Workouts Intensify, a Harmful Side Effect Grows More Common. “Rhabdo, as many experts call it, has long been documented among soldiers, firefighters and others whose professions can be physically demanding. An Army study in 2012 estimated that about 400 cases of the condition are diagnosed among active-duty soldiers each year. On occasion there have also been large clusters of college athletes hospitalized with it after particularly grueling workouts. But doctors say they are now seeing more of it among weekend warriors driven in part by the popularity of high-intensity workouts.”