Are pain tolerance of female runners and use of pain coping strategies related to the experience of childbirth?

Abstract

Experimental ischaemic pain tolerances were compared for 10 female runners who had given birth and 10 female runners who had not given birth. In both groups pain tolerances were positively correlated with the spontaneous use of pain coping strategies. No differences were found between the groups in pain tolerances, use of coping strategies, or estimates of pain intensity at tolerance; however, athletes who had experienced childbirth reported tolerating greater pain during their normal training sessions.