# Crossfit Games **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 3, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossfit-games/792715 "2017-08-03T20:27:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossfit-games/792715/1 "2017-08-03T20:27:15Z")
I had no idea what Crossfit was until I ran across a documentary on Netflix called “Fittest on Earth.” I’m not sure what I was looking for at the time but I didn’t find it so I watched this instead. This sport is insane! It’s basically just very intense, strictly regimented exercises designed to push you to maximum effort and eventually achieve an extreme level of “fitness,” but these people do it competitively. Mind you, I have absolutely zero interest in actually doing any Crossfit training, but I find the sport fascinating. It’s like competing in an Olympic Games where they select the events at random, and you have to participate _in every event_. It looks like just a bunch of people doing workouts really fast together, and granted, it is, but it’s also a race for time and points. It’s more compelling than it sounds. Anyways, they are live streaming the current Crossfit Games competition on CBS Sports’ website if you want to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossfit-games/792715/2 "2017-08-03T21:13:41Z")
It’s “extreme” decathalon, with added joint damage. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossfit-games/792715/3 "2017-08-03T21:18:57Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > It’s “extreme” decathalon, with added joint damage. And you could die from your [muscles self-destructing.](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-robertson/crossfit-rhabdomyolysis_b_3977598.html) > [@](#): > > So what is rhabdomyolysis exactly? Under extreme conditions your muscles cells explode. They die. They leach protein out into the blood stream, including one form called myoglobin. Ever stalwart, your kidneys take up the job of clearing these dangerous proteins from the blood. Why? It’s just what they do. Unfortunately, myoglobin proteins aren’t designed to be in the blood in the first place and they can easily overload the kidney. This can produce injury or death to all or part of the kidney in a short amount of time, and is potentially lethal. Locally, the muscles are left damaged and dying. Swelling ensues and weakness occurs as pressure builds around the remaining muscle cells. Your body’s systems that normally can assist with this local muscle damage are now offline trying to help you not die. If you get to this stage, you’re in serious trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossfit-games/792715/4 "2017-08-04T16:04:01Z")
I sort of do Crossfit, but have been fortunate to have excellent trainers and coaches. I have watched the documentaries and was flabbergasted at the one year when “Murph” was one of the WOD and athletes were dropping from the heat. I am so happy that the people I train with actually believe fitness shouldn’t destroy your body or health. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossfit-games/792715/5 "2017-08-04T17:07:27Z")
Having said all that, those athletes are amazingly fit. How they get there (I assume many/most are using PEDs) is another question, but I would love to be half that fit. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossfit-games/792715/6 "2017-08-04T19:53:32Z")
Yeah, I’ve found myself glued to x-fit competitions when surfing the dial (at least when The Three-headed Shark isn’t on!) Just incredible to see the type of activities those folk are doing. What folk have said upthread about the potential damage to your body is exactly what I’ve heard from the fittest folk I speak with.