Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women Powerlifters: a Pilot Study

Overview

Journal Int Urogynecol J

Publisher Springer

Specialties Gynecology & Obstetrics
Urology

Date 2019 Jan 23

PMID 30666426

Citations 6

Authors

Lolita Wikander

Donelle Cross

Daniel E Gahreman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction And Hypothesis: Increased intra-abdominal pressure is associated with urinary incontinence (UI) as is increasing age, obesity, and participating in sport at an elite level. We aimed to determine the prevalence of UI in competitive women powerlifters and establish if commonly cited risk factors affect the incidence of UI.

Methods: The authors developed a 17-item questionnaire to investigate the prevalence of UI and the relationship of UI with age, body mass, resistance training experience, and competition grade in competitive women powerlifters. The questionnaire was distributed through three major powerlifting federations in Australia for 16 months. The data of 134 competitive women powerlifters were collected anonymously using Qualtrics, and were analysed using multivariate analysis.

Results: In combination, the age of lifters, resistance training experience, body weight categories, and competition grade accounted for a significant 28% of the variability in the Incontinence Severity Index (ISI) (p < 0.01). However, the ISI was not significantly different among age groups, body weight categories, or competition grade. Approximately, 41% of women powerlifters had experienced UI at some stage in life, and 37% of women powerlifters currently experienced UI during training, competition, or maximum effort lifts. However, the rate of UI experienced during daily life activities was approximately 11%.

Conclusions: This study showed that competitive women powerlifters experience a higher rate of UI during lifting-related activities than in daily life and that the rate of UI correlates positively with age, body weight categories, resistance training experience, and competition grade.

Citing Articles

Influence of Powerlifting and Weightlifting on Female Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Systematic Literature Review.

Alves A, de Araujo M, Pereira G, Brito L, Juliato C Int Urogynecol J. 2025; .

PMID: 39918585 DOI: 10.1007/s00192-025-06059-4.

Athletes' Knowledge of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Their Knowledge of and Engagement with Pelvic Floor Muscle Training: A Scoping Review.

Magor J, Martin R, Bird M Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025; 22(1).

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Sport practice and hemorrhoidal disease: results from a self-assessment questionnaire among athletes.

Romano L, Giuliani A, Paniccia F, Masedu F, Tersigni L, Padula M Int J Colorectal Dis. 2025; 40(1):8.

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Does a Kegel Exercise Program Prior to Resistance Training Reduce the Risk of Stress Urinary Incontinence?.

Cross D, Kirshbaum M, Wikander L, Tan J, Moss S, Gahreman D Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023; 20(2).

PMID: 36674234 PMC: 9859385. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021481.

Association Between Obstetric History and Urinary Incontinence in a Cohort of Resistance-Trained Women.

Wikander L, Kirshbaum M, Waheed N, Gahreman D Int J Womens Health. 2022; 14:1211-1218.

PMID: 36081449 PMC: 9448274. DOI: 10.2147/IJWH.S367110.

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