Lewis Moody and ALS: Expert denies direct link with rugby

Rugby and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: Demystifying the Connection

An expert in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable disease that causes muscle atrophy, has revealed that there is no direct causal link between playing rugby and developing this condition. The news of the diagnosis of ALS for former England captain Lewis Moody, 47, has shocked the rugby world. This disease also caused the death of other prominent players such as Doddie Weir, Rob Burrow and Joost van der Westhuizen. In addition, Ed Slater, second row for Leicester and Gloucester, received the same diagnosis in 2022. Dr. Nick Cole, head of research at the ALS Association, explains that research points to a combination of factors as the cause of this progressive disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord.

Cole stated that there is no definitive connection between rugby and ALS. Studies have been conducted to find commonalities or causes related to the sport and exercise.

“There have been studies that show there is a higher risk in people who practice professional sports, but they were small studies, so it was a small increase in a small number of people”

Dr. Nick Cole

According to Dr. Cole, perception is influenced by the visibility of cases like Moody’s. However, six people are diagnosed with ALS every day. The expert suggests that there may be a genetic predisposition to develop ALS in individuals with a physical constitution that encourages activity and sports. ALS is caused by a combination of environmental factors, lifestyle, and genetics. Sport could be a contributing factor, but many other biological aspects of ALS are being investigated to find effective treatments.

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Recently, significant advances have been made in the treatment of ALS, especially for a genetic form, although it is not yet available in the National Health Service. Funding from the ALS Association has been key to these discoveries, and more drugs are expected to be developed. However, neurodegenerative diseases are complex, and a cure could arrive “tomorrow or within several years”. Dr. Cole emphasizes that ALS is not intractable, but rather underfunded, and it is necessary to increase research to develop effective therapies. The diagnosis is devastating and difficult for patients and their families to accept.

Friends and former Leicester teammates of Moody, Geordan Murphy and Leon Lloyd, have set up a GoFundMe page. The disease can progress rapidly in some people, and a third of patients die within two years of diagnosis. Dr. Cole highlights the need for housing adaptations and the high costs of care, as well as the inability to work that the illness entails.