Research has continued to demonstrate that exercise during pregnancy is safe. Growing evidence supports that exercise during pregnancy is beneficial for mother and fetus during gestation, with benefits persisting for the child into adulthood. Regardless of income or socioeconomic status, exercise during pregnancy is associated with increased incidence of full-term delivery. Additionally, normalization of birth measures, such as birth weight, occurs when women perform regular exercise throughout gestation. Measures of growth and development further indicate that exercise during pregnancy does not harm and may stimulate healthy growth throughout childhood. Measures of cognition and intelligence demonstrate that exercise during pregnancy causes no harm and may be beneficial. Overall, the benefits of exercise during pregnancy decrease the risk of chronic disease for both mother and child.
The production of live young during successive pregnancies was investigated in female CF-1 house mice (Mus musculus) identified at cesarean delivery as having developed in utero between 2 male fetuses (2M females) or not next to a male fetus (0M females). 2M female mice have previously been found to be exposed to higher concentrations of testosterone than 0M females during fetal life, presumably as a result of the transport of steroids between contiguous fetuses. 0M and 2M females were paired with stud males. The males were removed prior to delivery of a litter and replaced by other males when the litter was weaned. This process was repeated until: 1) a female did not become pregnant within 2.5 mo or 2) two successive litters were produced in which all of the pups were dead. In Experiment 1 females were first mated when 25 days old, and 2M females ceased producing litters containing live pups at a younger age and after fewer litters than did 0M females; however, many females were terminated from the study as a result of producing 2 successive litters of dead young rather than failing to become pregnant during a 2.5-mo period. There was a gradual decline in the number of live young produced by 0M females as a function of age and parity, but 2M females abruptly ceased producing any live young after producing a litter of normal size. For the last live litter, there were thus significantly fewer live young produced by 0M females than by 2M females. None of these differences were observed in Experiment 2, in which 0M and 2M females were mated for the first time beginning at 7 mo of age. The 2M females in this experiment ceased producing live young at a significantly older age than did the 2M females first mated at puberty. In contrast, there was no effect of age at initial mating on the age at which 0M females ceased producing live young. This finding suggests that exposure of 2M females to elevated titers of testosterone during fetal life results in a reduction in reproductive life span if they first become pregnant during the pubertal period.
Background: The extent of the benefits of exercise training during pregnancy on maternal, fetal, and neonatal health outcomes has not been sufficiently addressed. While aerobic exercise training has been determined as safe and efficacious throughout pregnancy, the effects of other training modes on fetal health and development as well as any continued benefits for the neonate, especially with regards to cardiovascular development and function, is largely unknown. In the ENHANCED by Mom study we aim to determine the effects of different modes of exercise training (aerobic, circuit, and resistance) throughout pregnancy on childhood health by controlling individual exercise programs and assessing the effects of each on fetal and neonatal health adaptations. Methods/Design: ENHANCED by mom is a cross sectional comparison study utilizing 3 intervention groups in comparison to a control group. Participants will complete three 5 min warmup + 45 min sessions weekly from 16 weeks to 36 weeks gestation of aerobic, resistance, or circuit training, in comparison to non-exercising controls. Maternal physical measurements will occur every 4 weeks throughout the intervention period. Fetal morphometric and heart measurements will occur at 34 weeks gestation. Neonatal measurements will be acquired at birth and at 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months. Discussion: A better understanding on the effects of exercise training during pregnancy on fetal and neonatal health could have a profound impact on the prevention and development of chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes.
Current research is exploring the health benefits of exercise in pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of aerobic and circuit training throughout pregnancy on maternal and fetal adaptations. We hypothesized that there would be 1) improvements in maternal resting HR and body composition; 2) differences in fetal HR, HR variability, and heart measures at 34 weeks; and 3) no differences in fetal anatomical heart measurements or birth measures between groups. Participants in one of three protocols completed three 45 minute sessions weekly from 13 weeks gestation to delivery. We measured maternal resting HR at each exercise session, maternal body composition monthly, and 34 week fetal heart measures. Statistical analyses included t‐tests and multiple ANOVAs. There is a significant difference in RHR between groups for OW/OB women, but no significant difference in body composition between exercising groups. There are differences in fetal HR, HR variability, and stroke volume between exercising and control groups, but no differences in fetal anatomical measures between groups. These data suggest that there is a similar fetal heart response between aerobic and circuit exercising groups that differed from the control group. Fetal cardiac autonomic benefits are observed when controlling for frequency, intensity, and time, regardless of the exercise protocol, compared to not exercising.
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