title: No effect of the FitFor2 exercise programme on blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, and birthweight in pregnant women who were overweight and at risk for gestational diabetes: results of a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of an exercise programme for pregnant women who were overweight or obese and at risk for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospitals and midwifery practices in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant women who were overweight or obese and at risk for GDM between 2007 and 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Normal care was compared with an exercise training programme during pregnancy. The training consisted of aerobic and strength exercises, and was aimed at improving maternal fasting blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, and birthweight. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine the effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternal outcome measures were fasting blood glucose (mmol/l), fasting insulin (pmol/l) and HbA1c (%), body weight (kg), body mass index (kg/m(2) ), and daily physical activity (minute/week). Offspring outcome measures were birthweight and fetal growth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 121 women were randomly allocated to either a control (n = 59) or an intervention (n = 62) group. Intention-to-treat analysis showed that the exercise programme did not reduce maternal fasting blood glucose levels nor insulin sensitivity. Also, no effect was found on birthweight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The exercise intervention performed over the second and third trimester of pregnancy had no effects on fasting blood glucose, insulin sensitivity, and birthweight, most probably because of low compliance. The high prevalence of women at risk for GDM calls for further research on possible interventions that can prevent GDM, and other types of interventions to engage this target group in physical activity and exercise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oostdam
authors.forename: M N M
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: van Poppel
authors.forename: M G A J
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.forename: E M W
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Eekhoff
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bekedam
authors.forename: W K H
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Kuchenbecker
authors.forename: H W P
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Quartero
authors.forename: M H B
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Heres
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Mechelen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000235:genetics; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005215:Fasting / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010375:Pedigree; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin