Clinical trial NCT06803979: Impact of Delivery Method Elite Athletes.
Official title: The Impact of Delivery Method on the Performance of Elite Athletes.
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Conditions: Delivery
Performance
Caesarean Section
Pregnancy
Athletes
Keywords: delivery
performance
caesarean section
pregnancy
athletes
women health
Lead sponsor: Faculty Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady
Sponsor class: OTHER_GOV
First posted: 2025-01-31
Enrollment: 500
Sex: FEMALE
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: OTHER
Time perspective: OTHER
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: General young population for compering with the group of elite athletes which are meeting representation limits and included in national teams organized under the Czech Olympic Committee and individual sports federations.

Brief summary: Labor itself can occur spontaneously vaginally, with the help of extraction methods, or via cesarean section. It can also be planned or awaited for the spontaneous onset of uterine contractions. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages regarding potential damage to the pelvic floor and its stability in vaginal delivery or extraction methods, or concerning the stability of the abdominal wall with subsequent wound healing after a cesarean section.

The aim of the study is to retrospectively and prospectively determine the impact of the method of delivery on the performance of female athletes through a questionnaire study. Investigators would like to answer the question of whether cesarean delivery means a later return to training for athletes, whether pregnancy is problematic for female athletes in relation to their BMI, and whether pregnancy often signifies the end of a sports career for female athletes. The questionnaire also includes questions regarding overall women's health-menstrual cycle, incontinence, and mental health of female athletes. Prospectively, the questionnaire will be sent to all female athletes who meet representation limits once a year and for two years after retiring from the national team.

Detailed description: Childbirth and pregnancy are among the most significant moments in a woman's life. The method of delivery is currently a highly debated topic with potential impacts on a woman's future physical and mental health. For elite female athletes, this issue is amplified, as pregnancy and childbirth significantly affect their performance and careers, and it is often necessary to plan pregnancies in consideration of current sporting events and ongoing physical training.

Labor itself can occur spontaneously vaginally, with the help of extraction methods, or via cesarean section. It can also be planned or awaited for the spontaneous onset of uterine contractions. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages regarding potential damage to the pelvic floor and its stability in vaginal delivery or extraction methods, or concerning the stability of the abdominal wall with subsequent wound healing after a cesarean section.

The aim of the study is to retrospectively and prospectively determine the impact of the method of delivery on the performance of female athletes through a questionnaire study. The investigators would like to answer the question of whether cesarean delivery means a later return to training for athletes, whether pregnancy is problematic for female athletes in relation to their BMI, and whether pregnancy often signifies the end of a sports career for female athletes. The questionnaire also includes questions regarding overall women's health-menstrual cycle, incontinence, and mental health of female athletes. Prospectively, the questionnaire will be sent to all female athletes who meet representation limits once a year and for two years after retiring from the national team.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

- Elite female athletes meeting representation limits and included in national teams organized under the Czech Olympic Committee and individual sports federations.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Any male

Primary outcomes:
measure: Performance
timeFrame: 2 years retrospectively and through study completion, an average of 5 years
measure: Performance
timeFrame: 2 years retrospectively and through study completion, an average of 5 years
measure: Performance
timeFrame: 2 years retrospectively and through study completion, an average of 5 years
measure: Placement of athletes during competitions
timeFrame: Prior to delivery and 2 years after the delivery
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Praha
country: Czechia
facility: Faculty Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady
Study officials:
affiliation: General Faculty Hospital in Prague
name: Antonin Parizek, Prof., MUDr.
role: STUDY_CHAIR
References: