Assessment of pelvic floor muscles in sportswomen: quality of life and related factors

Abstract Objectives To evaluate Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) of the Pelvic Floor Muscles (PFM) in sportswomen, to observe the urinary symptoms and their impact on the Quality of Life (QoL). Design Observational cross-sectional study. Setting Gyms and teams in the North of Portugal. Participants Sportswomen (n=197) Main outcome measures The measurement was performed using a manometer. The sportswomen were instructed to perform 3 MVC of the perineum, held for 3 seconds. The Kings Health Questionnaire (KHQ) was used to evaluate urinary symptoms and the QoL of the sportswomen. Results Age significantly influenced (p Conclusions Age, BMI and high-impact sports appear to be the leading factors that promote the onset of SUI, which in turn decrease the QoL in sportswomen. There was a positive association between MVC and weekly time of physical activity in the QoL.