On July 1, according to the announcement issued by the Asian Badminton Federation and the Indonesian Badminton Association, mainland badminton singles player Zhang Zhijie suddenly fainted during a match and died after being sent to the hospital at the age of 17.
According to the video footage of the match, Zhang Zhijie's fainting occurred in the third men's singles matchup against Japan in the team group stage of the 2024 Asian Youth Badminton Championships. Although the on-site doctors and medical team rescued Zhang Zhijie and was taken to the hospital by ambulance, his life could not be saved. The announcement of the Asian Badminton Federation and the Indonesian Badminton Federation said: "The world badminton has lost a talented player. ”
According to public media reports, Zhang Zhijie was born in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province in January 2007, and was introduced to badminton from kindergarten and entered the Zhejiang provincial team in the third grade of primary school. Zhang Zhijie has won the men's singles championship of the 15-year-old group in the U15-17 finals of the 2022 National U-Series Badminton Competition, the men's singles champion in Group B of the 2023 National Youth Badminton Championships, and the men's singles champion in the 2023 World Youth Badminton Championships. At the 2024 Dutch Youth Badminton International Grand Prix, Zhang Zhijie won the championship in one fell swoop.
Doctors say sudden cardiac death is highly likely
Wang Lihong, chief physician of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, said in an interview with Metropolis Express and City Interactive on July 1 that according to the live video, Zhang Zhijie's situation is more like sudden cardiac death. According to our actual clinical experience, in general, hypokalemia is a very common and important cause of sudden death during strenuous exercise such as badminton and running marathons.
Dr. Wang Lihong explained that a lot of sweating will occur during strenuous exercise, and with the discharge of sweat, a large amount of electrolytes will be lost, resulting in low potassium and low magnesium, resulting in unstable electrical activity of the heart. At this time, the human sympathetic nerve is already in a state of extreme excitement, which can easily lead to myocardial ischemia and hypoxia. ②
On July 1, Lu Xiao, deputy chief physician of the Department of Emergency Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, posted on social media that he was extremely distressed after watching the video of (Zhang Zhijie) falling to the ground. As an emergency physician, I saw the athlete fall to the ground: the sudden death of such a young athlete, with significant convulsions before the sudden death, from my point of view, the patient may have a high probability of malignant arrhythmia. ③
Dr. Tang Yimin, deputy director of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of Zhejiang Hospital, said in an interview with Metropolis Express and City Interactive on July 1 that the symptoms of Zhang Zhijie after falling to the ground should be cardiogenic cerebral ischemia syndrome, and the most prominent manifestation is that the brain is seriously undersupplied due to a sharp decline in cardiac blood supply. Zhang Zhijie's convulsions after falling to the ground are likely to be caused by sudden cardiac arrest and cerebral ischemia and hypoxia. ②
The risk of sudden death in category 3 sports is high
Many people have the habit of exercising in life, and cases of sudden death from exercise also occur from time to time. An "Epidemiological Survey of Exercise-Related Sudden Death in Guangdong" published in the Journal of Forensic Science in April 2022 found that the top three sports deaths caused by the number of sudden sports deaths in Guangdong Province in the past 15 years (2007-2021) were as follows:
Basketball (34.5%)
Running (19.5%)
Badminton (12%)
Studies have shown that the majority of cases (77% of people) have little to no aura before sudden motor death. Some cases have recorded aura: twitching of the limbs, foaming at the mouth, difficulty breathing, loud wheezing or making strange sounds, etc. ④
According to the research, several important conclusions about sudden sports death are summarized:
1. High-intensity, confrontational exercise is more likely to cause sudden sports death
According to the study, it was found that sudden sports death occurred most intensively, with high-intensity exercise and strong confrontational exercise. For example, basketball, running, table tennis, badminton, football, tennis, etc. are all high-intensity and confrontational sports.
2. 39~59 years old is the age group with the most sudden sports deaths
According to the study, there are far more cases of sudden sports death in men than in women. Among them, men aged 39-59 are the age group with the most sudden sports deaths. Researchers believe that the physical function of this age group gradually declines, the risk of underlying diseases increases, and it is prone to sudden death caused by coronary heart disease. At the same time, limited by the pressure of work and life, the exercise time is mainly concentrated after work, the body is already in a state of exhaustion, and the lack of regularity of exercise is easy to increase the risk of sudden death.
3. Sudden death from exercise in young people is mainly due to inappropriate exercise intensity
Researchers pointed out that young people in this age group are mainly competitive, intense and confrontational, and lack of necessary protective measures and inappropriate exercise intensity, which increases the risk of sudden death.
4. Sudden death often occurs during exercise and within 1 hour after exercise
Studies have found that sudden death from exercise mostly occurs during exercise, or within 1 hour after exercise. In this study, 280 cases of sudden death from exercise occurred during exercise (74.87%), and 75 cases of sudden death from exercise occurred within 1 hour after exercise (20.05%), accounting for 94.92% of the total number of cases. ④
To prevent sudden death from exercise, keep these points in mind
For us ordinary people who should also be prepared when exercising, to prevent the occurrence of sudden death from exercise, keep these points in mind.
1. Do a good physical assessment and preparation before exercising
1. No matter what age you are or what kind of exercise you are, do a thorough assessment of your body before exercising. For example, people with heart and blood vessel related diseases should follow the professional advice of doctors before regular exercise, or regular heart-related examinations.
2. For ordinary people, it is also necessary to understand their physical state before exercising, and it is best to check whether there is an underlying cardiovascular disease. In addition, it is also necessary to pay attention to whether you have recently caught a cold, stayed up late, drank alcohol, fatigue, etc., and whether you have been feeling unwell recently. In short, don't rush into high-intensity, high-confrontation sports.
3. People who have not exercised for a long time should not exercise suddenly and at high intensity. Exercise according to your ability, step by step, and warm up well. At the same time, do not exercise in hot and extremely cold weather.
2. Pay attention to your physical condition and replenishment during exercise
1. Observe your heart rate in time during exercise, observe your feelings, and determine whether the amount of exercise is appropriate through your own reaction. For people who engage in high-intensity, high-confrontation sports, it is best to wear a heart rate watch, or heart rate band, to monitor the heart rate status in time.
2. Be especially careful not to dehydrate during exercise. Dehydration and electrolyte loss during exercise are very dangerous, and it is necessary to replenish sufficient water and electrolytes in time, especially in summer or during exercise with a lot of sweating.
3. If you feel unwell, heat stroke, or have difficulty breathing during exercise, you should stop and reduce the intensity of exercise in time.
3. Do a good job of physical recovery after exercise
1. Don't stop or sit right away after a lot of strenuous exercise. The body should be given time to recover and allow the body to gradually relax from the intense state of exercise.
2. Do not drink a lot of water, drink a lot of cold drinks or take cold showers after exercise. This kind of cold stimulation can affect the heart and even induce sudden death from exercise.
3. It's best to do a cool exercise after exercising. A person's sudden stop after strenuous exercise is equivalent to "sudden braking", and cold exercise can slow down the rapid heartbeat to a safe level. Jogging, brisk walking, stretching and relaxation after moderate to high intensity exercise can maintain and promote blood return.
Source: Health Times
Edit: xkw