Substrate and endocrine responses during exercise at selected stages of pregnancy

Abstract

To determine whether the concomitant effects of pregnancy and exercise yield substrate and endocrine patterns different from those expected during exercise alone, we compared the responses of glucose, lactate, free fatty acids, insulin, epinephrine (EP), norepinephrine (NE), human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), human placental lactogen (HPL), estriol, and progesterone (P) in nonpregnant women (NP; n = 7) and pregnant women in the second (TR2; n = 6) and third trimester (TR3; n = 8) of pregnancy, before, during, and after 30 min of bicycle ergometer exercise at heart rates of 130-140 beats/min. In general, all substrates and hormone concentrations increased with exercise (P less than 0.05), except insulin, which decreased (P less than 0.05), and HCG, which did not change (P = 0.08). Differences in selected hormone concentrations (P, estriol, HCG, and HPL) among groups were already present at rest because of the different stages of pregnancy. Differences among groups at rest were also found in insulin and NE (P less than 0.05). Significantly different responses to exercise (i.e., group x time interactions) were as follows. NP vs. TR2:P, estriol, HCG, HPL, EP, and NE (P less than 0.05); NP vs. TR3: glucose, EP, and NE (P less than 0.05); TR2 vs. TR3: lactate, EP, and NE (P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Leisure time physical exercise during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage: a study within the Danish National Birth Cohort

“…Even within the subperiods of gestational age the miscarriages occur earlier for the pregnancies with retrospectively collected exposure information than for pregnancies with a first pregnancy interview (Figure 2). In addition, we did see a positive trend in the association between exercise and the risk of miscarriages in the earliest period of pregnancy (gestational weeks [11][12][13][14] in the subcohort using prospectively collected data only.…”

“…[12][13][14] All of these physical responses may potentially have adverse effects on pregnancy outcome. Several animal experiments have given support to these hypotheses, 6,7,9,14 while human studies are less conclusive.…”

“…Several animal experiments have given support to these hypotheses, 6,7,9,14 while human studies are less conclusive. 8,[10][11][12]15,16 Only few studies have specifically addressed the association between exercise during pregnancy and miscarriage. In the existing body of literature, exercise during pregnancy has generally not been associated with miscarriage, [17][18][19] and one case-control study has even reported a protective effect of exercise during pregnancy.…”

Effects of Night Work on Urinary Excretion Rates of 6-Sulfatoxymelatonin, Norepinephrine and Estriol in Pregnant Women.

“…The effect of physical activity on E 3 level of pregnant women is controversial. Some reported that E 3 level after exercise was increased and other reported it was decreased after an increase 38,39) . In this study, urinary E 3 level of the pregnant subjects seems to be lower during physical activity or work rather than at rest.…”

Sport und Schwangerschaft

“…Analog könnte exzessiv betriebener Sport in der Schwangerschaft, auch unter submaximaler aerober Belastung, das fetale Wachstum beeinträchtigen. Da der Blutzuckerspiegel bei Schwangeren im Gegensatz zu nichtschwangeren Frauen während der sportlichen Belastung abfällt [8], könnte dadurch die fetale Substratzufuhr beeinträchtigt sein. Die eventuelle Umverteilung des Herzzeitvolumens auf Kosten der uterinen Perfusion unter sportlicher Belastung würde die These klinisch ebenfalls stützen [28,64].…”