Self-Assessment of Lower Urinary Tract Condition in Female Competitive Cyclists.

During cycling, prolonged compression by the bicycle saddle on the anatomical structures located in the perineum area occurs. An additional factor that may have a negative impact on organs located in the pelvic area may be a prolonged sitting position resulting in increased intraabdominal pressure. This situation has the potential to adversely affect pelvic floor function. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the incidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) in female competitive road cyclists and cross-country cyclists. The study included 76 female competitive road cyclists and cross-country cyclists and 76 women not practising competitive sport. The Core Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Score (CLSS) questionnaire was used to assess the lower urinary tract condition. Female competitive cyclists had a statistically significantly higher LUTSs score (95% CI: 3.12-4.2 vs. 2.31-3.16; p < 0.05) compared to women not practising competitive sports. Female cyclists had a statistically significantly higher overall CLSS score (95% CI: 3.99-5.61 vs. 2.79-3.97; p < 0.05). Female cyclists had a statistically significantly higher incidence and severity of urinary frequency (p < 0.05 and p < 0.02), urge (p < 0.001 and p < 0.02) and stress incontinence (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001), and pain in the bladder (p < 0.01 and p < 0.01), while physically inactive women recorded a statistically higher incidence of slow urinary stream (p < 0.01 and p < 0.04). A statistically significant association was recorded between the years of cycling and the number of hours per week spent on training and the number of symptoms and their severity. The number of natural births experienced by women involved in competitive cycling significantly affects the severity of LUT symptoms. Compared to women not practising competitive sports, competitive female cyclists are found to have a higher prevalence of LUTSs and a greater degree of severity. LUTSs in competitive female cyclists are negatively influenced by years of competitive career and weekly number of training hours and the number of natural births experienced.

Inter- and Intra-Examiner Reliability Study of Two-Point Discrimination Test (TPD) and Two-Point Estimation Task (TPE) in the Sacral Area of Pain-Free Individuals.

Tactile acuity is typically measured by a two-point discrimination test (TPD) and a two-point estimation task (TPE). In the back area, they are only conducted in the lumbar and cervical regions of the spine. Considering that such measurements have not been conducted in the sacral regions, the purpose of this study was to assess the inter- and intra-examiner reliability of the TPD and TPE at the level of the S3 segment. The study included 30 pain-free subjects aged 20-30 years. Tests were performed with a pair of stainless hardened digital calipers. The TPD was measured in two locations: 5 and 15 cm from the midline; for TPE both, points were located inside the measured area. Session 1 involved assessments by two examiners in 10-min intervals. Session 2 was measured by one examiner, at analogous intervals between tests. The TPD inter-rater reliability was excellent for mean measurements (ICC3.2: 0.76-0.8; ICC3.3: 0.8-0.92); the intra-rater reliability was excellent for mean measurements (ICC2.2: 0.79-0.85; ICC2.3: 0.82-0.86). The TPE inter-rater reliability was good to excellent for mean measurements (ICC3.2: 0.65-0.92; ICC3.3: 0.73-0.94); the intra-rater reliability for all studies (ICC2.1, ICC2.2, ICC2.3) was excellent (0.85-0.89). Two measurements are sufficient to achieve good reliability (ICC ≥ 0.75), regardless of the assessed body side.

Effect of Nordic Walking Training on Physical Fitness and Self-Assessment of Health of People with Chronic Non-Specific Lower Back Pain.

In order to determine the impact of a four-week cycle of Nordic Walking (NW) training on the physical fitness of people with chronic non-specific lower back pain and the impact of this form of activity on their self-assessment of health quality, the study included 80 men and women aged 29 to 63 years. The subjects were divided into two equal (40-person) groups: experimental and control. In both study groups the degree of disability in daily activities caused by back pain was assessed with the FFb-H-R questionnaire, the physical fitness was evaluated with the modified Fullerton test and the sense of health quality was assessed with the SF-36 questionnaire. The same tests were repeated after four weeks. In the experimental group NW training was applied between the two studies. During four weeks, 10 training units were carried out, and each training session lasted 60 min with a two-day break between each training. The four-week NW training resulted in a statistically significant sense of disability due to back pain (p < 0.001), significant improvement of physical fitness expressed by improvement in upper (p < 0.001) and lower (p < 0.01) body strength, upper and lower body flexibility (p < 0.001) and ability to walk a longer distance in a 6-min walk test (p < 0.001). The training participants also showed significant improvements in health quality in both physical (p < 0.001) and mental (p < 0.001) components. The four-week NW training has a positive impact on the physical fitness of men and women with chronic lower back pain. Participation in NW training also contributes to a significant reduction in the sense of disability caused by back pain and improvement in the self-assessment of health quality.

Self-Assessment of the Pelvic Floor by Women Practicing Recreational Horseback Riding.

The aim of this study was to compare the condition of the pelvic floor in women who are involved in regular recreational horseback riding, with both physically active women as well as women not undertaking any recreational physical activity. Taking into account horseback riding and physical activity, 140 healthy women aged 17 to 61 were divided into three groups: women practicing horseback riding (WPHR) (46 persons), physically active women (PAW) (47 persons) and women not physically active (WNPA) (47 persons). The Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ) was used to measure the extent of pelvic floor dysfunctions in women from all three groups. The lowest average values were found in the group of women practicing recreational horseback riding, and the highest in the group of women not physically active (95% CI: 0.61-1.15 vs. 0.87-1.44 -bladder scores; 0.82-1.32 vs. 1.24-1.8-bowel scores; 0.07-0.33 vs. 0.08-0.35-prolapse of reproductive organs scores; 0.4-1.07 vs. 0.49-1.3-sexual function). Statistically significant intergroup differences were recorded only for the bowel function rate (p = 0.021). The overall pelvic floor dysfunction rate in the WPHR group was lower when compared with both control groups (95% CI: 2.15-3.62 vs. 2.34-3.54 in women from PAW group and vs. 3.0-4.56 in women from WNPA group). Based on this study, it can be concluded that all of the pelvic floor related symptoms, their frequency, and severity levels do not qualify recreational horseback riding as being a risk factor for developing pelvic floor dysfunction in women.