Fellowship-Trained Urogynecologist
Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery
Green Bay, Wisconsin
✓ Medically reviewed May 16, 2026
Urinary incontinence in female athletes
If you leak during running, jumping, lifting, or other high-impact activities, you are far from alone. Research shows that up to 80% of female athletes experience some urinary leakage during sport. Even about 40% of healthy women who have never been pregnant leak during vigorous exercise. It affects women of all ages, from high school athletes to recreational runners to competitive CrossFitters. And it does not mean you need to give up the activities you love.
Why this happens
High-impact activities create sudden spikes in abdominal pressure. Your pelvic floor muscles and the tissue around your urethra work together to keep you dry. Running, jumping, box jumps, double-unders, heavy squats, and gymnastics all generate forces your urethra has to resist. When the pelvic floor support cannot keep up with those demands, leaking happens.
This is a form of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). It is common and undertreated. Many athletes assume it is normal and just deal with it by wearing dark shorts, using pads, or quietly changing their training. You do not have to accept it.
Signs you should seek help
- Leaking during any type of exercise
- Changing your training to avoid certain movements
- Wearing pads or dark clothing during workouts
- Cutting back on exercise intensity because of leaking
If any of this sounds familiar, it is worth talking to someone. These are treatable problems.
Treatment options
There are several ways to address athletic incontinence. The right approach depends on your symptoms, your goals, and what matters most to you. Here are options we can discuss together:
- Sport-specific pelvic floor training: a pelvic floor therapist who works with athletes can teach you to activate your pelvic floor during high-demand movements. This goes well beyond Kegels. It includes strength, coordination, timing (“the knack,” which means tightening your pelvic floor just before a jump or lift), relaxation, endurance, and work on your hips, core, and surrounding muscles. Cochrane reviews show pelvic floor muscle training makes women 8 times more likely to report cure compared to no treatment.
- Breathing and bracing techniques: proper coordination of your breath, core, and pelvic floor during lifting can make a real difference.
- Activity modifications: temporary, targeted changes while you build pelvic floor strength and coordination. The goal is always to get back to full activity.
- Pessary: a small support device you wear inside the vagina during exercise. Incontinence pessaries have a knob that presses gently under the urethra to help prevent leaking during activity. Over 90% of women can be successfully fitted with one.
- Urethral bulking: an office-based injection that adds volume around the urethra to help it seal. It is minimally invasive, done under local anesthesia, and may be a good fit if you want to avoid a bigger procedure.
- Surgery: if other approaches are not enough, a urogynecologist can discuss surgical options like a midurethral sling. This is a brief outpatient procedure with strong long-term results.
I never tell an athlete to stop exercising. That is not a solution. The goal is to get your pelvic floor strong enough to match your athletic demands. Our practice also has in-office pelvic floor physical therapists, which makes it easier to get started.
Your next steps
If leaking is affecting your training or your confidence, reach out. A pelvic floor therapist experienced with athletes is a great place to start, and a urogynecologist can help if you need more.
Learn more about urinary incontinence
References
- DeLancey JOL. The pathophysiology of stress urinary incontinence in women and its implications for surgical treatment. World Journal of Urology. 1997.
- Nygaard IE, Heit M. Stress urinary incontinence. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2004. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000137874.84862.94
- Wallace SL, Miller LD, Mishra K. Pelvic floor physical therapy in the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction in women. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2019. doi:10.1097/GCO.0000000000000584
- Richter HE, Burgio KL, Brubaker L, et al. A trial of continence pessary vs behavioral therapy vs combined therapy for stress incontinence. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2010.
- Wu JM. Stress incontinence in women. New England Journal of Medicine. 2021. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp1914037
- Fleischmann N, Chughtai B, Plair A, et al. Urethral bulking. Urogynecology. 2024. doi:10.1097/SPV.0000000000001548