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Intensive training during a twin pregnancy. A case report.
B Davies1, D M Bailey, R Budgett
1School of Applied Sciences, University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd, S. Wales, UK.
International Journal of Sports Medicine
|September 25, 1999
Summary
Elite marathoners can maintain cardiovascular fitness during twin pregnancy with adjusted training, ensuring maternal and fetal health. This supports a quicker return to elite competition post-birth.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Maternal-Fetal Health
Background:
- Case study of an elite marathoner during a twin pregnancy.
- Focus on clinical and physiological changes during intensive endurance training.
Observation:
- Reduced training volume and intensity during pregnancy.
- Exercise cessation 3 days before C-section, resumed 8 days postpartum.
- Medical assessments confirmed healthy mother and twins.
Findings:
- Decreased running velocity at steady-state heart rates (HR) between weeks 1 and 32 antepartum.
- Increased blood lactate ([La-]B), oxygen uptake (VO2), ventilatory equivalent for oxygen (VE/VO2), HR, and Borg rating of perceived exertion (RPE) at 29 weeks antepartum compared to 10 weeks postpartum.
- No apparent adverse effects on maternal or fetal health.
Implications:
- Demonstrates the possibility of maintaining high cardiovascular fitness during pregnancy for elite athletes.
- Facilitates an earlier return to elite-level competition.
- Highlights the importance of individualized training adjustments during pregnancy.