Exercise During Pregnancy Can Reduce the Risk of Obesity in Children

A new study has shown that exercise during pregnancy can reduce the risk that offspring will become obese later in life. The latest work is in addition to a body of previous research that has shown that pregnant mothers who exercise can improve the metabolic health of their future child. The benefits seem to stay even if the expectant mother is not obese.

The latest research is being presented this week at the 2019 experimental biology meeting of the American Physiological Society, hosted by the American Physiological Society. The study looked at pregnant mice and aimed to determine whether, in non-obese women, exercise during pregnancy exhibited the same metabolic benefits for offspring as exercise in obese pregnant women.

The pregnant mice were subjected to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise daily during their pregnancy. A control group of pregnant mice did not exercise. Offspring of both groups were studied; Exercise group members were found to have more "brown fat" burning calories than the group's offspring without exercise.

In addition, the offspring of both groups were fed for eight weeks on a high fat diet and it was found that the exercise group members gained less weight and had fewer symptoms of metabolic disease than mice produced by mothers who have not exercised during pregnancy.

Jun Seok Son, a Ph.D. student at Washington State University, who conducted the study, explained:

Based on our findings, we recommend that women – whether they are obese or have diabetes – exercise regularly during pregnancy, as this improves the metabolic health of their children … Our data suggest that Lack of exercise in healthy women during pregnancy can predispose their children to obesity and metabolic diseases partially badociated with altering thermogenic function.