Effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training for treating urinary incontinence in female athletes: A critically appraised topic

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training in treating urinary incontinence in female athletes aged over 13 years. Data Sources: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science Core Collection, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Sports Medicine & Education Index, Cochrane Central, and grey literature. Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, prospective cohort studies, or case series evaluating PMFT in female athletes >13 years with urinary incontinence from inception to February 2025 were included. Data Extraction: Data on participant characteristics, study design, interventions, and outcomes were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale, Downs and Black, Joanna Briggs Institute Tool, STROBE, CONSORT checklist, Risk of Bias-2 (RoB-2), and/or Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions, Version 2 (ROBINS-I V2). Data Synthesis: A search yielded 324 studies; four met inclusion criteria. Primary outcomes included maximum voluntary contraction or the pad test. Secondary outcomes included urethral closure pressure, pelvic floor muscle endurance, and self-report questionnaires. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence suggests that pelvic floor muscle training may improve urinary incontinence in female athletes, particularly in high-impact sports; however, study quality is limited, and effectiveness varies by sport-specific demands. Further high-quality research is needed to establish standardized protocols and optimize pelvic floor muscle training implementation across athletic populations.
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Bibliographic Details
Subjects:
Notations:biological and medical sciences
Tagging:Inkontinenz
Published in:International Journal of Athletic Therapy & Training
Language:English
Published: 2025
Volume:30
Issue:6
Pages:305-313
Document types:article
Level:advanced