# Thickness of the abdominal wall and pelvic floor dysfunctions in men who practice crossfit vs no crossfit: An observational study

## TL;DR

This study compares abdominal muscle thickness and quality of life in men who practice CrossFit versus those who do not.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into how CrossFit affects abdominal muscle thickness and quality of life in men.

## Key findings

- CrossFit participants had thicker internal oblique muscles at rest.
- CrossFit participants reported higher quality of life scores.
- No increased chronic pelvic pain or erectile dysfunction was observed in CrossFit participants.

## Abstract

The objective of this study is to compare the thickness of the transverse abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, rectus abdominis, and rectus abdominis distance, the quality of life (SF-36), the presence of chronic pelvic pain (CPPQ-Mohedo), and sexual dysfunction (IIEF) in men who practice CrossFit® versus men who do not.

Sixty-four healthy men with an average age of 37.19 were recruited at a private sports club and divided into two groups for this cross-sectional observational study. Additionally, participants completed the CPPQ-M, IIEF, and SF-36 questionnaires.

Significant differences were found in the thickness of the internal oblique at rest (p = 0.018, d = 0.61), which was greater in the CrossFit® group. In the SF-36 quality of life questionnaire (p = 0.05, d = 0.50), the CrossFit® group also obtained a higher score.

CrossFit® improves the quality of life and self-esteem of the participants, in addition to increasing the thickness of the internal oblique. Neither more chronic pelvic pain nor more erectile dysfunction was observed in the CrossFit® group.