OBJECTIVES: To study fetal wellbeing and uteroplacental blood flow during strenuous treadmill running in the second trimester. METHODS: Six pregnant Olympic-level athletes in endurance events aged 28-37 years and training 15-22 h per week before the pregnancy were tested once at 23-29 weeks of pregnancy. The women ran three to five submaximal workloads on a treadmill with approximately 60-90% of maximal oxygen consumption. The maternal-fetal circulation was assessed with Doppler ultrasound of the uterine and umbilical arteries before, during and after exercise. RESULTS: Mean uterine artery volume blood flow was reduced to 60-80% after warming up and stayed at 40-75% of the initial value during exercise. Fetal heart rate (FHR) was within the normal range (110-160 bpm) as long as the woman exercised below 90% of maximal maternal heart rate (MHR). Fetal bradycardia and high umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI) occurred when the woman exercised more than 90% of maximal MHR and the mean uterine artery volume blood flow was less than 50% of the initial value. FHR and umbilical artery PI normalised quickly after stopping the exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise at intensity above 90% of maximal MHR in pregnant elite athletes may compromise fetal wellbeing.
OBJECTIVES: To study fetal wellbeing and uteroplacental blood flow during strenuous treadmill running in the second trimester. METHODS: Six pregnant Olympic-level athletes in endurance events aged 28-37 years and training 15-22 h per week before the pregnancy were tested once at 23-29 weeks of pregnancy. The women ran three to five submaximal workloads on a treadmill with approximately 60-90% of maximal oxygen consumption. The maternal-fetal circulation was assessed with Doppler ultrasound of the uterine and umbilical arteries before, during and after exercise. RESULTS: Mean uterine artery volume blood flow was reduced to 60-80% after warming up and stayed at 40-75% of the initial value during exercise. Fetal heart rate (FHR) was within the normal range (110-160 bpm) as long as the woman exercised below 90% of maximal maternal heart rate (MHR). Fetal bradycardia and high umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI) occurred when the woman exercised more than 90% of maximal MHR and the mean uterine artery volume blood flow was less than 50% of the initial value. FHR and umbilical artery PI normalised quickly after stopping the exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Exercise at intensity above 90% of maximal MHR in pregnant elite athletes may compromise fetal wellbeing.
Authors: Adam S Tenforde; Kierann E S Toth; Elizabeth Langen; Michael Fredericson; Kristin L Sainani Journal: Sports Health Date: 2015-03 Impact factor: 3.843
Authors: Virginia A Aparicio; Olga Ocón; Carmen Padilla-Vinuesa; Alberto Soriano-Maldonado; Lidia Romero-Gallardo; Milkana Borges-Cósic; Irene Coll-Risco; Pilar Ruiz-Cabello; Pedro Acosta-Manzano; Fernando Estévez-López; Inmaculada C Álvarez-Gallardo; Manuel Delgado-Fernández; Jonatan R Ruiz; Mireille N Van Poppel; Julio J Ochoa-Herrera Journal: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Date: 2016-09-29 Impact factor: 3.007