Urinary incontinence in women and high-intensity functional training/CrossFit®: Key aspects in clinical-sports practice

Abstract

Urinary incontinence particularly affects women who practice high-intensity exercise, such as CrossFit®. The aim of this review was to describe the key aspects in clinical-sports practice for urinary incontinence in women who practice high-intensity functional training/CrossFit®. A narrative review was carried out developing an exhaustive search of scientific articles, using the databases of PubMed, Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus. It was found that high-intensity functional training/CrossFit® could lead to urinary incontinence. Recent studies indicate that 80% of women who practice CrossFit® have experienced urinary incontinence, depending on factors such as the type of delivery, the number of pregnancies, sexual dysfunction, among others. It is recommended to carry out work to prevent and strengthen the pelvic floor, and the execution of therapeutic exercises that reduce the incidence of urinary incontinence in women who practice high-intensity exercise.