Over half of elite female GAA players have some form of incontinence, a preliminary study at Trinity College has concluded. 

Incontinence is when a person leaks urine involuntarily and while the condition is usually associated with the elderly, clinical health physiotherapist Elizabeth Culleton-Quinn has found it is common among young GAA players as well. 

“We’re finding way over 50% have some form of incontinence - which is a [type of] pelvic floor dysfunction,” she told Moncrieff. 

“We also found from those responses that a lot of people are not talking about it - they’re trying to manage it themselves [by] wearing a pad, dark shorts, restricting fluids - not great for athletes.” 

Ms Culleton-Quinn described the issue as “underreported” and suspects social stigma might be stopping people from speaking out or asking for help. 

“It’s an embarrassing issue - let’s face it,” she said. 

“It’s one of those taboo issues that 50-year-old or 60-year-old women barely talk about.” 

The study has not concluded why it is so common among female GAA players and Ms Culleton-Quinn said research into the issue still has some way to go. 

“So, theories are - that we are maybe stressing the pelvic floor a lot when we’re doing a lot of jumping or high impact [sport],” she said. 

“Or we’re tiring it out at the end of a long training session. 

“Other theories would be that the pelvic floor isn’t responding appropriately. 

“But the one thing I want to get across today is that it’s treatable”. 

She said it seemed to be more prevalent among athletes of “high impact sports” and urged anyone with the condition to get themselves assessed. 

“We know a lot of athletes are just putting up with it,” she said

“And they shouldn’t just put up with it.” 

Main image: A sliotar. Picture by: Alamy.com