Impact of a 12-Week Pelvic Floor Training on Urinary Incontinence in Functional Fitness Training Athletes

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Strength; Muscle Activation; Urinary Incontinence (UI)
• Interventions: Other: Pelvic floor muscle training intervention

• Registration Number: NCT06623045
• Lead Sponsor: Universidad Politecnica de Madrid

Brief Summary

Functional fitness training (FFT) is a prominent exercise regimen, that has emerged as the dominant fitness trend of the 21st century , advocating high-intensity exercises with repetitive, impactful movements that often result in increased intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and neuromuscular fatigue. This demanding training pattern, characterized by minimal rest pauses, has been associated with potential health concerns, particularly urinary incontinence (UI). In athletes, UI is intricately connected to the frequency of exposure to increased IAP during high-impact activities. These activities assume even greater significance in sports, particularly in FFT, where there is an increased frequency of impactful foot contact on the ground and intensive abdominal exercises, potentially correlating with the overload of the pelvic floor muscles and the emergence of dysfunctions. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effects of a 12-week training program focused on Kegel exercises performed with diaphragmatic breathing in nulliparous female FFT athletes. The central hypothesis postulates that after the 12-week intervention, these women will exhibit enhancements in both the muscular activation and contractile capacity of their pelvic floor, leading to a reduction in instances of urine leakage.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2023-04-23
• Primary Completion: 2023-07-06
• Study Completion: 2023-09-10
• Status Verified: 2024-09
• Study First Submitted: 2024-09-23
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-09-29
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-09-29
• Study First Posted: 2024-10-02
• Last Update Posted: 2024-10-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 21

Inclusion Criteria

• Nulliparous FFT female athletes
• had been practicing FFT or weightlifting for at least 2 years
• train a minimum of 3 days/week
• had not previously performed pelvic floor exercises
• had no medical contraindications or previous pelvic floor surgeries

Exclusion Criteria

• Any criterion that does not meet the inclusion criteria

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
PFM strength	Pelvic floor muscle training intervention	This group carries out a 12-week training intervention based on Kegel exercises to improve strength and muscle activation

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Strength	From the enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks	Maximal, medium and minimal force generated of the pelvic floor muscles, measured with a vaginal dynamometer, which involves a pelvimeter probe with two arms that could be separated up to 25°, connected to the Phenix USB2 device (Pelvimètre Phenix, Vivaltis). The closed pelvimeter is inserted into the vagina with one arm positioned against the posterior side of the symphysis pubis. Once in place, to evaluate the contractile force of the PFM, the participant performes a pelvic floor contraction for 10 seconds against the arms of the probe fixed at 5º (an isometric contraction).
muscle activation	From the enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks	Measured as tone or initial inertia index (III) using a vaginal dynamometer, which involves a pelvimeter probe with two arms that could be separated up to 25°, connected to the Phenix USB2 device (Pelvimètre Phenix, Vivaltis). The closed pelvimeter is inserted into the vagina with one arm positioned against the posterior side of the symphysis pubis. Once in place, the probe is opened by 5° to measure basal muscle activation (initial inertia index) and shock absorption, which assesses the pelvic floor ability to withstand stress.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Urinary incontinence (UI)	From the enrollment to the end of treatment at 12 weeks	Measured with the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-short form (ICIQ-SF), which evaluates the frequency, severity and impact on quality of life (QoL) of urinary incontinence in men and women (in the female athletes in this case). It encompasses 4 items (frequency or urinary incontinence, amount of leakage, overall impact of urinary incontinence and self-diagnostic item) with a scoring scale of 0-21 reflecting the degree of urinary incontinence as slight (1-5), moderate (6-12), severe (13-18) and very severe (19-21).

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid; 🇪🇸 Madrid, Spain