Stress Urinary Incontinence in Elite Athletes

A protocol of pelvic floor muscles training (PFMT) in elite athletes was applied. They will do it for 4 months. Then re-evaluated.

The athletes of the Portuguese national female's volleyball team were evaluated through perineometry, pad-test and Kings health questionnaire. They were taught a plan of pelvic floor muscles training (PFMT) to perform for 4 months. After this time they will be re-evaluated with the same measuring instruments.

Volleyball team will be evaluated in two moments, at the beginning and 4 months after the PFMT. After 4 months, to compare with the control group and to evaluate if there are differences between groups, namely muscle strength

The experimental and control group will perform the pad test twice. At the beginning of the evaluation and 4 months after the PFMT. The modified pad test, has the durability of a workout (2h30min)

Kings Health Questionnaire to assess the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life of women. Both groups will complete the questionnaire.

PFMT is a protocol of exercises for prevention and treatment for Stress Urinary Incontinence in elite females athletes, volleyball team

Pad test is a standardised test for quantifying urine loss. Pad test is not invasive and provide an easy, inexpensive and objective assessment of urine loss.

Was constructed in order to assess the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life women, also evaluating urinary symptoms and subjective measures of severity. The KHQ is composed of 21 items investigating nine domains and it evaluates the agreement of the subjects on a 4- and 5- option Likert scale: general health perceptions (1item), incontinence impact (1 item), role limitations (2 items), physical limitations (2 items), social limitations (2 items), personal relationships (3 items), emotions (3 items), sleep and energy (2 items) and severity measures (5 items). Additionally, it has an independent subscale designed as a Symptom Severity Scale, which contains 11 items, measuring the presence and severity of urinary symptoms (Appendix 5). The KHQ scored from a minimum of 0 (best QoL) to a maximum of 100 (worst QoL), scored by every domain and by their global score. Scores of independent subscale (Symptom Severity Scale) was calculated in the same way.

Inclusion Criteria: Elite female athletes Nulliparous Volleyball team. Exclusion Criteria: Inability to contract the PFM, elderly Prolapse of the pelvic organs.

Urinary incontinence is a public health problem, which we must combat intervention measures and publication of clinical trials to prevent and treat urinary incontinence. The PFMT is the first line treatment advised by recent literature.

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