Exercise during pregnancy can protect obese mothers and their children from health problems

The researchers say that obese mothers can protect themselves and their babies from adverse health effects by exercising during pregnancy.

Running on a treadmill up to 20 minutes a day before and during pregnancy improved the health of the internal organs of the mouse.

Exercise allowed pregnant mice to better manage their blood glucose by restoring the functioning of their main tissues.

This could reduce the risk of metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes in the mother and baby.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have said the findings are important in the context of the current obesity epidemic in the world.

Maternal obesity can have a major impact on the mother and the baby, during pregnancy and for years.

Health officials recommend staying active as much as possible during pregnancy – but do not recommend dieting.

Dr. Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, who led the study, said, "A moderate level of exercise just before and during pregnancy results in significant changes in different tissues of the obese mother, making them more similar to those observed in non-obese women. obese mothers.

"We believe these changes could explain how exercise improves the metabolism of the obese mother during pregnancy and could in turn prevent babies from developing the first signs of type 2 diabetes after birth."

In the UK, more than half of women of reproductive age and nearly one third of pregnant women are overweight or obese.

Short-term complications of maternal obesity are well known, including gestational diabetes that develops in the mother during pregnancy.

This also increases the risk of pre-eclampsia, a dangerous complication, having larger babies and needing a caesarean section.

Obesity predisposes the mother and her child to develop metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes later in life.

Exercise is known to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in women who are not pregnant by improving the way the body handles blood sugar.

However, until this study, little was known about how exercise could alter body tissues in an obese pregnant woman.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge, led by Dr. Barbara Musical, fed five mice with a high fat diet until they were obese.

Mice are a useful model for studying human diseases because they exhibit a number of common characteristics, including the effects of obesity and the woman's body during pregnancy.

The mice ran on a treadmill for 20 minutes a day for at least a week before their pregnancy, the team wrote in the journal Physiological Reports.

They said they chose to start the exercise program before pregnancy, which would reflect the number of obese women trying to lose weight before conceiving.

During pregnancy, the mice ran for 12.5 minutes five days a week. They stopped at day 17, three days before delivery.

The researchers found that exercise has an impact on how molecules and cells within tissues communicate.

In particular, how cells reacted to insulin and stored and broken down the fats contained in foods.

White adipose tissue, a type of fat under the skin and surrounding organs, has presented the most significant changes.

The researchers compared the fat to that of normal-weight pregnant women and found that she had found a similar state of health.

Professor Susan Ozanne, co-head of the study, said, "Our findings confirm the importance of an active lifestyle and a healthy and balanced diet when planning pregnancy, for both the mother and her developing child.

"This may be important to help reduce the risk of adverse health problems in the mother and subsequent health problems for her child."