title: Maternal and fetal responses to low-impact aerobic dance.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare the physiologic responses to low-impact aerobics using treadmill walking as a control. Ten pregnant women between 21 and 28 weeks of gestation completed 40 minutes of low-impact aerobic dance. The maternal and fetal responses were then compared to 40 minutes of walking at the same heart rate. The aerobics program consisted of a 10-minute warm-up, 20 minutes of high-intensity exercise, and 10 minutes of decreasing intensity. Heart rates were recorded every 5 minutes, and oxygen uptake (VO2) and fetal response (real-time ultrasound) were obtained every 10 minutes. The maternal heart rates were similar during both trials (overall, 133 +/- 6 beat/min). VO2 values during walking were about 4 mL/kg/min greater than during aerobic dance (p < or = 0.003). Minute ventilation (VE) was also greater during walking (28.7 +/- 6.4 versus 24.1 +/- 3.4 L/min, p < or = 0.001). Respiratory exchange ratios and the ventilatory equivalents for oxygen (VE/VO2) were similar for both trials. Aerobic dance caused greater fetal heart rates than walking (p < or = 0.001), differences being as high as 25 beat/min. The fetal rates had returned toward rest within 5 minutes following exercise. Low-impact aerobic dance, compared with walking at similar heart rates, results in a lower maternal metabolic rate and increases the transient stress on the fetus.
authors.affiliation: Applied Physiology Laboratory, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-8700, USA.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: McMurray
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Poe
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Hackney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003615:Dancing; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology