The effect of powerlifting on urinary incontinence in women

Powerlifting is a strength sport that has recently gained popularity among women. It is associated with a high prevalence of stress urinary incontinence, which is known to negatively affect women's quality of life. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of powerlifting on urinary incontinence not only during training but also in daily life. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify risk factors associated with stress urinary incontinence during powerlifting.

This cross-sectional study used an anonymous 26-item online questionnaire. Participants were mainly recruited via social media. Responses from 1,072 female powerlifters were analyzed using SPSS.

After starting to perform powerlifting, women were 22.7 times more likely to experience stress urinary incontinence overall, 1.6 times more likely to experience stress urinary incontinence in daily life, and 5.2 times more likely to experience urgency urinary incontinence. Among those who experienced changes in the severity of symptoms in daily life after starting to perform powerlifting, a narrow majority indicated an improvement in symptoms. The lifetime prevalence of stress urinary incontinence during powerlifting was 67.3%, whereas the lifetime stress urinary incontinence prevalence in daily life was 31.7%. Risk factors for stress urinary incontinence during powerlifting were older age, years of powerlifting experience, vaginal birth, use of a lifting belt, deadlift stance, and one repetition maximum.

While powerlifting appears to increase the risk of urinary incontinence in daily life, it also improves symptoms in some participants - likely those able to activate their pelvic floor during lifting.