Elevation of creatine kinase after exercise may be physiologic or pathologic and requires further judgment.
1. Physiological elevation: due to the change of cell membrane permeability after exercise, the creatine kinase originally present in the muscle cells is released into the blood, causing the serum creatine kinase to rise.
2. Pathological elevation: after strenuous exercise, myocyte damage occurs, resulting in myocyte destruction, creatine kinase is released, also resulting in elevated creatine kinase in the blood. In addition, strenuous exercise may induce myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accidents, etc., which directly cause damage to myocytes and can also cause elevated creatine kinase.
When there is an elevation of creatine kinase, one should consult a doctor as soon as possible to find out the related causes and treat the symptoms.