Okay.
CrossFit is not that unique. It is just a type of working out hard.
I'm quite confident injuries result more frequently among those who work out hard.
I'll concede rhabdo is more common among CrossFitters than the general population. The point I should have focused (exclusively) on is that that is exactly what we should expect.
We see lots of concussions in football; lots of tennis elbow among tennis players; shoulder issues with powerlifters; knee problems in runners, etc.
The article seems to me to be fear mongering. It is the nature of highly competitive pursuits that they involve injuries.
More rhabdo among CrossFitters is like saying there are more drowning deaths among those who go swimming.
Meanwhile, the risks involved in living a sedentary lifestyle abound.
Sure, but once you've conceded that yes, CrossFit has an unusual increased risk of a disorder both deadly and detrimental to fitness, then you need to deal with objections that CFers would be better off with the next alternative: CF can't be the only type of working out hard, even if it prides itself on being the hardest work out around.
More rhabdo among CrossFitters is like saying there are more drowning deaths among those who go swimming.
Modus ponens, modus tollens. That may just be a reason to avoid swimming as one's recreation unless one prefers it so much compared to the alternatives. 'Drowning' and 'rhabo' seem much worse than 'shoulder issues' or 'knee problems'.
Here's an internal dialogue I just had.
Q: How do we test rationality skills?
A: We haven't come up with a comprehensive test yet.
Q: Maybe we can test some part of rationality?
A: Sure. For example, you could test resistance to akrasia by making two contestants do some simple chores every day. The one who fails first, loses.
Q: That seems like a pointless competition. If I'm feeling competitive, why would I ever skip the chores and lose?
A: Whoa, wait. If competitiveness can cure akrasia, that's pretty cool!
Now we just need to figure out how to make people more competitive in the areas they care about...