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The immediate impact of heavy weightlifting on pelvic floor morphometry in vaginally parous women: a repeated measures study

Review written by Dr Sandy Hilton info

Key Points

  1. Assumptions have been made about an increased risk of pelvic organ prolapse in women who lift heavy weights.
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Female pelvic organ prolapse (POP) describes a loss of structural integrity and is characterized by abnormal pelvic and perineal pressures as well as bladder, vaginal, or bowel symptoms. Risks of POP have been based on correlations and include age, family history, number of children carried (parity), body mass index, and heavy lifting (1). Heavy lifting has previously been assumed to be a risk of prolapse due to possible increase in intra-abdominal pressure during lifting (2).

Both transperineal ultrasound imaging (TPUS) and the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (POPQ) measure the positions of the pelvic organ support. Both are used in studies to assess the amount of pelvic organ descent or POP. There have been no differences found of pelvic floor morphometry using TPUS between vaginally parous women who regularly lift (lifters) and those who do not (non-lifters). There have been no differences found in maximal vaginal descent (MVD) using the POPQ between nulliparous lifters and non-lifters (3).

Young nulliparous lifters have been found to have greater MVD, lower vaginal resting pressure, and lower pelvic floor muscle (PFM) activity immediately after a heavy lifting session (3,4).

This study investigated the immediate impact of a heavy lifting session on pelvic floor morphometry in premenopausal, vaginally parous women who lift heavy weights regularly.

Risks of pelvic organ prolapse have been based on correlations and include age, family history, number of children carried, body mass index, and heavy lifting.
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There was no evidence of pelvic organ descent after an episode of heavy lifting in this study.

METHODS

  • Participants (n= 37) were adult, premenopausal women who have had at least one vaginal delivery who participate in heavy lifting (greater or equal to 80% of body weight in a squat or deadlift) for at least six months and who
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