Factors Associated with Urinary Incontinence in Female Weightlifters

Background/Objectives: Urinary incontinence (UI) is common among women practicing sports, particularly those involving heavy lifting or high-impact movements that increase intra-abdominal pressure. UI can negatively affect social life, self-confidence, and motivation to remain active. This study aimed to examine the associations of sociodemographic, training-related, obstetric, and surgical factors with UI in female weightlifters. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 84 French women who regularly practiced weightlifting. Participants completed a structured questionnaire collecting sociodemographic and gynecological information, as well as the Urinary Symptom Profile (USP). Data were analyzed using appropriate inferential statistical tests, including the Mann-Whitney U test, Student's t-test, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test, as applicable. A 95% confidence level was adopted for all analyses. Results: Among participants (aged 15-49 years), 51 (60.7%) reported involuntary urine leakage, and 31 (36.9%) scored 1-3 on the USP stress incontinence subscale. Most participants were non-smokers (73.8%), with a median of 3.5 years of weightlifting experience, four weekly training sessions, and six-seven competitions per year. No significant associations were found between UI and sociodemographic factors, obstetric history, previous surgeries, or training characteristics. Maximal lifts in Clean & Jerk and Snatch exercises were also similar between participants with and without UI. Slight trends suggested a higher UI prevalence among women with vaginal deliveries, episiotomies, or vaginal lacerations. Regarding athletes with and without UI, no differences were found (p > 0.05) with respect to weightlifting belt use or the breathing phase during load lifting. Conclusions: UI is common among female weightlifters, but in this study, was not associated with sociodemographic factors or weightlifting practices. These findings indicate that UI prevalence cannot be explained by the variables studied and highlight the need for further research into other potential contributing factors.