Local officials said a healthy 22-year-old woman collapsed and died after overexerting herself while lifting weights at a local gym.
Ariana Lizes Mata Esparza, from Torreon, Mexico, was doing barbell squats at her local gym earlier this month when she suddenly collapsed to the floor.
Paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to revive the woman and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A spokesman for the local prosecutor’s office said an autopsy found she had suffered from anoxia – a condition in which there is too little oxygen in the blood – possibly caused by excessive exercise.
It was also discovered that the teacher had also suffered a stroke and thrombosis.
Ariatna Lizes Mata Esparza, 22, from Torreon, Mexico, died after undergoing a medical emergency at a local gym, with authorities saying overexertion may have been the cause.
Esparza was a kindergarten teacher in the city.
It’s unclear how much weight Esparza was lifting, but experts suggest the average woman can squat about 154 pounds in one go.
Doctors say anoxia is not uncommon and can be caused by exercise at high altitudes, such as Torreon, which is 3,600 feet above sea level.
By comparison, New York City is just 33 feet above sea level, while Los Angeles is 305 feet above sea level.
Doctors say that when exercising at such high altitudes, more oxygen is consumed than is absorbed, causing low oxygen levels in the body and cell death.
This causes blood pressure to rise, which can cause blood vessels to burst and lead to bleeding in the brain.
If the deficiency becomes chronic, it can weaken blood vessels and increase the risk of cerebral hemorrhage.
Hypoxia may also increase the risk of blood clots by increasing levels of inflammatory molecules in the blood.
People who are accustomed to high altitudes are usually protected from this condition because their bodies produce more hemoglobin to compensate, allowing their blood to carry more oxygen.
It is unclear whether Esparza had any underlying medical conditions, but local reports said he did not have any heart problems.
Esparza paid tribute in the photo above.
She was working out at her local Energym when the incident happened (pictured above).
It had previously been suggested locally that this was the main cause of her death.
Hypoxemia causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid breathing, cyanosis (a blue or purple discoloration of the skin), and rapid heart rate.
In severe cases, a lack of oxygen in the blood can cause brain damage and organ failure, which can be fatal.
Esparza was planning to become a childcare worker and was due to receive her exam results that same day.
She was also an animal lover and regularly shared photos online of dogs looking for adoption.
According to JAM Press, her final social media post read, “I laugh when people say ‘don’t humanize my dog’ when it’s my dog that’s humanizing me.”
Her mother, Selene Esparza, posted on social media: “My princess, my daughter, you have passed away and left us with an empty soul and a broken heart.”
“Fly high, my love, so high.”
“Here on earth you were already a light guiding those who crossed your path, and now you are a light shining upon the angels.
“I love you, my princess.”
