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Pelvic floor muscle training to improve urinary incontinence in young, nulliparous sport students: a pilot study

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

Urinary incontinence (UI) is prevalent in sport students. We hypothesized that pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) can improve pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength and symptoms of UI in this group of physically active women.

Methods

Sixteen sport students with UI participated in this pre-post test pilot study. However, only seven of them, mean age 20.0 ± 0.8 years, completed the 8-week program. Activity level was measured by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF). The outcome measure was the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ UI SF). PFM strength was measured by manometry as maximum voluntary contraction (MVC).

Results

Vaginal resting pressure improved by 17.4 cmH2O (SD 6.7), p = 0.04 and MVC by 16.4 cmH2O (SD 5.8), p = 0.04. ICIQ UI SF score, frequency, and amount of leakage showed statistically significant improvement.

Conclusions

PFMT increased PFM strength and reduced frequency and amount of UI episodes in sport students that completed an 8-week PFMT program. Randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm these results.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IDMEC, LABIOMEP, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal

    Thuane Da Roza & Renato Natal Jorge

  2. Department of Sport Gynecology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (EPM-UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil

    Maíta Poli de Araujo

  3. Hospital de S. João - Porto/University of Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal

    Rui Viana & Sara Viana

  4. Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway

    Kari Bø

  5. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital de S. João, Faculty of Medicine of Porto University, Porto, Portugal

    Teresa Mascarenhas

Authors
  1. Thuane Da Roza
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  2. Maíta Poli de Araujo
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  3. Rui Viana
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  4. Sara Viana
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  5. Renato Natal Jorge
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  6. Kari Bø
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  7. Teresa Mascarenhas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Renato Natal Jorge.

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Da Roza, T., de Araujo, M.P., Viana, R. et al. Pelvic floor muscle training to improve urinary incontinence in young, nulliparous sport students: a pilot study. Int Urogynecol J 23, 1069–1073 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-012-1759-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-012-1759-2

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