Female Triathletes at High Risk of Developing Urinary Inconsistence, Menstrual Abnormalities

Women participating in triathlons might be at an increased risk of pelvic floor disorders, menstrual irregularities and weak bones, a new study suggests.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Loyola University Health System (LUHS), found that at least one in every three female triathletes suffered from pelvic floor disorder, while one in every four had at least one condition of the female athlete triad. Elite athletes in the study reported decreased energy, menstrual irregularities and abnormal bone density. Pelvic floor disorders include urinary incontinence, bowel incontinence and pelvic organ prolapsed.

"There has been a surge in popularity of high-impact sports such as triathlons, but little has been known until now about the prevalence of pelvic health and certain other issues associated with endurance training and events," said Colleen Fitzgerald, MD, study investigator and physiatrist, LUHS, according to a news release.

Regular exercise is known to have many health benefits. However, high levels of endurance exercises such as marathon and triathlons have been linked with increased risk of heart diseases.

The current study was based on data from 311 women with a median age ranging from 35-44 years. At least 82 percent of the women were training for a triathlon at the time of the survey. On an average, each participant ran 3.7 days a week, swam 2.4 days a week and biked 2.9 days a week.

Researchers found that 16 percent of women who reported pelvic floor disorder symptoms had urgency urinary incontinence, while 37.4 percent had stress urinary incontinence. Twenty two percent of the participants reported eating disorder, while 24 percent had menstrual irregularities and 29 percent had weak bones.

The study will be presented at the American Urogynecologic Society 2014 Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC.

"While both pelvic floor disorders and the female athlete triad are prevalent in female triathletes, both are often ignored," said Johnny Yi, MD, urogynecologist and study investigator. "Doctors should be aware of how common these conditions are in this group of athletes and treat patients appropriately to avoid long-term health consequences."