title: Maternal blood pressure and heart rate response to pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether maternal blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) change significantly in response to pelvic floor muscle training during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal exploratory study with repeated measurements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven nulliparous healthy women of mean age 23.3 years (range 18-36) and mean body mass index 23.4 (range 23.1-29.5).
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual supervised pelvic floor muscle training from gestational week 20 till 36 with assessment of BP and HR at gestational weeks 20, 24, 28, 32 and 36.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systolic and diastolic BP was measured before and after each training session and HR was monitored during each session.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pelvic floor muscle training did not change BP. 77% (n = 21) of participants exceeded 70% of estimated maximum HR during at least one session. The time for exceeding 70% of estimated maximum HR was between 2.2 and 3.2 % of the total exercise session. Increases in BP and HR from gestational weeks 20 till 36 were within normal limits for pregnant women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pelvic floor muscle training in nulliparous sedentary pregnant women does not increase BP. It significantly increases HR during the exercise sessions, but only for a limited period of time and with no negative long-term effect on BP or HR.
authors.affiliation: Ribeirão Preto Medical School, Department of Biomechanics, Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy Course, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristine H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Luciane M V
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Naldoni
authors.forename: Juliana Dos Santos
authors.initials: Jdos S
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Maria Cristina C C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Meirelles
authors.forename: Ricardo de Carvalho
authors.initials: Rde C
authors.lastname: Cavalli
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bø
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Blood pressure; exercise; heart rate; pelvic floor muscle; training