Wee spot of bother for one-in-three female players

Letting go of stigma behind urinary leakage, which affects roughly 37% of women during GAA action

- BY CATE McCURRY

MORE than one third of women playing Gaelic football and camogie experience urinary leakage during training and match play, research has found.

Urinary leakage - a form of incontinence - remains a hidden struggle for many female athletes, largely due to embarrassment and stigma, a report found.

Dublin City University’s research, published in Science and Medicine in Football, explores how menstrual cyclerelated symptoms, hormonal contraceptive use, and indicators of pelvic floor dysfunction affect players of ladies Gaelic football and camogie.

Among players not using hormonal contraceptives, 97.7% reported menstrual cycle-related symptoms, most commonly abdominal cramping (84%) and fatigue (82.2%).

Around 85% believe their menstrual cycle affects on-field performance, with 59% indicating a negative impact.

Approximately 37% of athletes experienced urinary leakage during training or matches, suggesting potential pelvic floor concerns. A high proportion also experience urinary urgency (47.8%) and genital pain (43.4%).

Dr David Nolan, assistant professor of Sport and Exercise Sciences at the DCU School of Health and Human Performance, said urinary leakage is a current taboo in women’s sports.