Pelvic floor muscles behavior in practitioners of high and low impact sports

Abstract

Physical activity has been promoted to all ages due to the benefits to health and as a tool to compensate for a sedentary lifestyle. Since the pelvic floor muscles have the function of keeping the sphincter functions and it were localized as a “floor” for the abdominal viscera. Maintain this muscles “healthy” is the great importance. It is known that some exercises can promote damage on the pelvic floor muscles. The impact of exercise on urinary incontinence has been previously considered, but not in a biomechanical perspective. Strengthening exercises performed through pelvic floor muscles contractions are the basis of physiotherapy treatment. The aim of this study was to verify whether practitioners of high-impact sports have differences in morphology and behavior of pelvic floor muscles when compared with low-impact activities practitioners. The results showed thickness differences at the level of midvagina between the swimmer and the trampolinist women. Additionally, differences in pubovisceral muscle behavior during maneuvers that increase intraabdominal pressure were found. Further studies are required in this field to understand the impact of female training, and in what way its biomechanics related to urinary incontinence symptoms.