Impact of quarantine due to COVID-19 on female urinary incontinence during exercise in CrossFit practitioners: an observational study (preprint)

ABSTRACT

Introduction and hypothesis: Urinary incontinence (UI) during exercise (athletic incontinence) affects about 30% of CrossFit practitioners. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CrossFit academies were closed, impacting on several dimensions of the health of these athletes. We aimed to evaluate the effect of quarantine due to COVID19 pandemic on the training volume and UI during exercises for female crossfitters. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among 197 female CrossFit practitioners. An online questionnaire was emailed containing questions about frequency, duration and intensity of training and data related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether UI stopped among participants, they were asked about the possible reasons why this happened. A 5% significance level was stablished.Results: Mean age of the participants was 32 years old, with an average frequency of training of 50 minutes per day, four times/ week. Most participants lived in an apartment (65.5%) and with another person (40.1%). Main CrossFit training location during quarantine was inside home (55%). There was a decrease in training intensity in 64% of the respondents. Exercises with their own body weight, such as air squat (98.2%) followed by push up (92.2%) were the most performed. UI was reported by 32% of participants before the COVID-19 pandemic, and only 14% of them during the pandemic (OR = 0.32[0.19-0.53],p <0.01; univariate analysis). Practitioners reported that the reason possibly related to UI improvement was the reduction of training intensity and not performing double under exercise. Conclusion: Quarantine by COVID-19 reduced in 18% of UI during exercises by CrossFit practitioners.