ReviewSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2020
Is Physical Activity Good or Bad for the Female Pelvic Floor? A Narrative Review.
Review in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 4 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 95 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Dose-response of Physical Exercise on Pelvic Floor Muscle Function in Postmenopausal Women With Urinary Incontinence: a Randomized Controlled Trial
Musculoskeletal Injuries, Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions and Menstrual Irregularities in Norwegian Rhythmic Gymnasts and Dancers - Observational and Cluster Randomized Controlled Studies
Musculoskeletal and Pelvic Floor Health in Female Chronic Overlapping Pelvic Pain Conditions (The MSK-PELVIC Study)
Effects Of Yoga And Whole Body Vibration Training On Women With Stress Urinary Incontinence
Who cites it
95 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 234 citations in OpenAlex.
- Urinary Incontinence in Women Athletes: Umbrella Review and Meta-analysis of Sport-Related Factors.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Pooled it
- Influence of Powerlifting and Weightlifting on Female Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: Systematic Literature Review.International urogynecology journal · 2025Pooled it
- Lifestyle factors, metabolic factors and socioeconomic status for pelvic organ prolapse: a Mendelian randomization study.European journal of medical research · 2023Pooled it
- Elite female athletes' experiences of symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction: A systematic review.International urogynecology journal · 2022Pooled it
- Bone-Targeted High-Intensity Training Does Not Reduce Quality of Life Related to Pelvic Floor Dysfunction: The MEDEX-OP Randomized Controlled Trial.International urogynecology journal · 2025Trial
- Pelvic floor muscle training in female functional fitness exercisers: an assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial.British journal of sports medicine · 2024Trial
- Supervised resistance exercise for women with ovarian cancer who have completed first-line treatment: a pragmatic study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023Trial
- Rumba Dance Combined with Breathing Training as an Exercise Intervention in the Management of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- Antenatal pelvic floor muscle training and urinary incontinence: a randomized controlled 7-year follow-up study.International urogynecology journal · 2022Trial
- Does regular strength training cause urinary incontinence in overweight inactive women? A randomized controlled trial.International urogynecology journal · 2021Trial
- Does timing of physical exercise after reconstructive prolapse surgery matter?Brazilian journal of physical therapy · 2026Article
- Eccentric Countermovement Jump Mechanics Are Associated with Bone Properties in Physically Inactive Early Postmenopausal Women.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Associations between urinary incontinence and physical activity in women: a cross-sectional survey in the UK.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Ultrasound-Based Morphofunctional Assessment of the Transversus Abdominis and Urinary Incontinence in Female Rugby Players.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- Pelvic Floor Knowledge and Dysfunctions in Female Athletes: Impact of Demographics, Sport Profile, and Physical Activity.International urogynecology journal · 2026Article
- Physical activity level and urinary incontinence in women after stroke: a cross-sectional study.Irish journal of medical science · 2026Article
- The Immediate Impact of Heavy Weightlifting on Pelvic Floor Morphometry in Vaginally Parous Women: A Repeated Measures Study.International urogynecology journal · 2026Article
- Prevalence of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Symptoms in Female Marathon Runners: A Cross-Sectional Study of the Santiago Marathon, Chile.International urogynecology journal · 2026Article
- The Posterior Urethrovesical Angle in Continent and Incontinent Women Before and After a Treadmill Run.International urogynecology journal · 2026Article
- Pelvic floor symptoms in 746 female field hockey players in Australia. A retrospective survey.JSAMS plus · 2026Article
35 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
More women participate in sports than ever before and the proportion of women athletes at the Olympic Games is nearly 50%. The pelvic floor in women may be the only area of the body where the positive effect of physical activity has been questioned. The aim of this narrative review is to present two widely held opposing hypotheses on the effect of general exercise on the pelvic floor and to discuss the evidence for each. Hypothesis 1: by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles (PFM) and decreasing the levator hiatus, exercise decreases the risk of urinary incontinence, anal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, but negatively affects the ease and safety of childbirth. Hypothesis 2: by overloading and stretching the PFM, exercise not only increases the risk of these disorders, but also makes labor and childbirth easier, as the PFM do not obstruct the exit of the fetus. Key findings of this review endorse aspects of both hypotheses. Exercising women generally have similar or stronger PFM strength and larger levator ani muscles than non-exercising women, but this does not seem to have a greater risk of obstructed labor or childbirth. Additionally, women that specifically train their PFM while pregnant are not more likely to have outcomes associated with obstructed labor. Mild-to-moderate physical activity, such as walking, decreases the risk of urinary incontinence but female athletes are about three times more likely to have urinary incontinence compared to controls. There is some evidence that strenuous exercise may cause and worsen pelvic organ prolapse, but data are inconsistent. Both intra-abdominal pressure associated with exercise and PFM strength vary between activities and between women; thus the threshold for optimal or negative effects on the pelvic floor almost certainly differs from person to person. Our review highlights many knowledge gaps that need to be understood to understand the full effects of strenuous and non-strenuous activities on pelvic floor health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.