Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2025
Author Spotlight: Enhancing the Offspring Health in Rats with Maternal Exercise During Pregnancy
Published on: April 5, 2024
Influence of a Concurrent Exercise Training Program on Health-Related Quality of Life During Advanced Pregnancy: The
Nuria Marín-Jiménez1,2,3, Laura Baena-García1,4,5, Irene Coll-Risco1,6
1Sport and Health University Research Institute (IMUDS), University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Background:
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) may be altered during pregnancy due to pregnancy-related changes in all domains of women's health.
Hypothesis:
A supervised concurrent exercise-training program from the 17th gestational week until birth positively influences HRQoL.
Study Design:
Randomized controlled trial.
Level Of Evidence:
Level 1.
Methods:
Eighty-six pregnant women (age, 33.1 ± 4.6 years; prepregnancy body mass index, 23.5 kg/m2), divided into exercise (n = 41) and control (n = 45) groups, participated in this study (per-protocol basis). The exercise group followed a 60-min, 3 days/week, concurrent (aerobic + resistance) exercise training program. HRQoL was assessed with the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), where higher scores (0-100) indicate better HRQoL.
Results:
After adjusting for potential confounders, the exercise group decreased 16.1 points less than the control group in the SF-36 physical functioning domain [between-group differences (B): 95% confidence interval (CI), 9.02 to 23.22; P < 0.01], and 4.5 points less in the SF-36 physical component summary than the control group (between-group differences (B): 95% CI, 0.65 to 8.28; P = 0.02). Intention-to-treat basis analyses depicted similar results, where the exercise group decreased 10.03 points less than the control group the in the SF-36 social functioning domain (between-group differences (B): 95% CI, 0.39 to 19.68; P = 0.04).
Conclusion:
A supervised concurrent exercise training program ameliorates HRQoL decreases along gestation. Although HRQoL decreased throughout pregnancy in both groups, this impact was less in the exercise group, especially in the SF-36 physical functioning, the SF-36 social functioning, and the SF-36 physical component summary.
Clinical Relevance:
Healthcare providers may encourage pregnant women to exercise in this physiological stage for a better HRQoL throughout pregnancy.
Clinicaltrials.Gov Identifier:
NCT02582567; Date of registration: 20/10/2015.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
01:26Exercise Stress Test
Exercise stress testing, commonly known as a treadmill test, is a noninvasive procedure used to evaluate cardiovascular function and diagnose heart conditions.
Definition
An exercise stress test measures the heart's response to exertion using a treadmill or stationary bicycle. Chest electrodes record the heart's electrical activity through an ECG, and blood pressure is monitored regularly.
Purposes
01:27Exercise and Muscle Performance
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...