The principal risk factors investigation of for urinary incontinence (UI) is related to reproductive outcomes. Other different situations in which intra-abdominal pressure increases are also an important risk factor, but its relation is not linear. It is important to consider that although physical activity increases intra-abdominal pressure, it has a positive effect on preserving UI. There is a need to comprehend the effect of physical performance at different levels on continence status. Very little is known about the status of continence in competitive athletes who are exposed to frequent and intense increases in intra-abdominal pressure. Among the sporting modalities, some have been listed regarding the risk factor for UI, with swimming and cycling classified as low-risk, running and tennis as moderate-risk, and basketball, volleyball, judo, gymnastics, and athletics as high-risk. Women, despite experiencing negative consequences with UI, feel embarrassed to discuss this issue with healthcare professionals, which implies that this matter is still underdiagnosed and undertreated in athletes. Similarly, prevention is not included in their routine. So, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence, type and occasion of UI in competitive athletes.

It was a cross-sectional study approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee (number: 0749/2013). Eligible female athletes of any age, who had participated in sports competitions for more than two years in any sport category, were considered. All athletes completed a questionnaire regarding demographic characteristics, UI subtypes, and occasion of leakage

80 competitive female athletes (18,8+5,5 years old and 22,1+3,2 kg/m2) were included. 60 (75%) reported UI, the most prevalent UI type was Mixed-UI (50%) followed by Stress-UI (13,75%) and Urgency-UI (11,25%). Regarding the leakage occasion, among athletes who was considered incontinent (n=60), 77% reported UI during daily-life activities, 42,5% during training and 29% during the competition.

Urinary incontinence is commonly associated with pregnant or older women, however, evidence indicates that young and physically active women can also experience it, even in the absence of known risk factors. Regarding the representativeness of the sample in this research, it was primarily composed of athletes from regional and state tournaments, which may not reflect the population of high-performance athletes. Further research is needed to better understand this issue, especially because it affects many active women at a young age, and with the increasing popularity of sports among women, it is crucial to better understand the impact of sports on the female body to ensure healthy development throughout their careers.

These preliminary results showed that UI is very prevalent among female athletes, the most frequent UI subtype Mixed-UI and surprisingly the most prevalent leakage occasion is not linked to the time of sports practice

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Rodríguez-Longobardo C, López-Torres O, Guadalupe-Grau A, Gómez-Ruano MÁ. Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Interventions in Female Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Health. 2023 Sep 9:19417381231195305. doi: 10.1177/19417381231195305. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37688407.