Activity affected urinary incontinence; Let’s talk about it!

Prevalence and normalization of stress urinary incontinence in female strength athletes.

Mahoney K, Heidel RE, and Olewinski LJ Good luck Cond2023 [epub ahead of print].

Full text freely available

Take home message

Seven in ten female strength training athletes report stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in some aspect of their lives. However, fewer than 2 in 10 athletes talk to their doctor or seek treatment for SUI.

Background

Very intensive physical activity can increase the risk of SUI, an involuntary loss of urine due to increased intra-abdominal pressure. Up to 2 in 5 women may experience SUI throughout their lives, which can negatively impact an individual’s quality of life. Pelvic floor training can treat SUI. Although female strength training athletes may be at greater risk for SUI, it remains unclear how many of these athletes experience SUI and seek treatment, as well as how they would prefer to learn about SUI.

Study aim

The researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to assess female strength training athletes’ understanding and normalization of SUI, including how often female strength training athletes sought treatment for SUI.

Methods

The researchers developed a new study, which was expertly reviewed, to share on various social media platforms. The survey asked respondents about demographic information, risk factors for SUI, experience with SUI, favorite sources of information about SUI, and whether the respondent had sought treatment for SUI. Respondents to the survey were women over the age of 18 who considered powerlifting, weightlifting or strongman as their main activity.

Results

Of the 425 respondents, 69% reported experiencing SUI in some aspects of their lives. Of the athletes who experienced SUI, 61% reported that they first experienced SUI after starting their sport. About two-thirds of athletes thought SUI was a normal part of their sport. Only 17% of respondents reported talking to their doctor about SUI, and 9% sought treatment. Nearly 30% of respondents reported seeking advice about SUI from videos and articles on the internet, 23% spoke to friends and 13% spoke to their coach about SUI.

Viewpoints

Overall, the results of this study indicated that SUI is common among female strength training athletes, and most consider it a normal part of their sport. However, very few athletes turn to healthcare to address their SUI. It would be interesting to see this study replicated by asking athletes to complete the survey during competitions, as it is unclear whether women with SUI are more likely to complete the online survey. So the online survey may overestimate how many women have SUI, but the answers about engaging the health care system and where they seek advice are still likely to be informative.

Clinical implications

Clinicians who work with athletes who are at high risk for developing SUI should educate athletes about effective treatments. It can also be helpful to educate strength and conditioning coaches about SUI and available treatments.

Questions for discussion

How do you talk to your athletes about SUI? Have you noticed that other athletes have high SUI rates?

Written by Kyle Harris
Reviewed by Jeffrey Driban

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