Modulation of blood pressure response to exercise by physical activity and relationship with resting blood pressure during pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether physical activity and blood pressure (BP) response to exercise in early pregnancy are related to resting BP at the end of pregnancy. Understanding physiological BP responses to exercise during pregnancy will help in improving BP profile and guiding exercise recommendations in pregnant women.


METHODS
Maternal physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) and BP (systolic and diastolic) at rest and during exercise (submaximal and relative response) were assessed at 16 weeks of gestation in 61 normotensive pregnant women. BP at 36 weeks of gestation and obstetrical outcomes were collected from maternal charts.


RESULTS
Related to resting DBP at 16 weeks (r =  -0.28, P = 0.028), total energy expenditure spend at any physical activity in early pregnancy was also associated with resting SBP at 36 weeks (r =  -0.27, P = 0.038). On the contrary, although related to VO2peak (r =  -0.57, P < 0.0001) and energy expenditure spent at sports and exercise (r =  -0.29, P = 0.024), the relative SBP response to exercise at 16 weeks was not associated with resting BP at 36 weeks. Strongly associated with resting BP at 16 weeks and also with total energy expenditure, submaximal BP response to exercise at 16 weeks was related to resting SBP and DBP at 36 weeks (r = 0.41, P = 0.001 and r = 0.26, P = 0.051, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
In normotensive women, physical activity performed in early pregnancy appears to slightly modulate resting BP in early and late pregnancy. However, further investigations are needed to determine which physical activity-related parameter in response to exercise best predicts BP variations during pregnancy.
aDepartment of Pediatrics, Quebec's University Hospital Centre bResearch Centre of Quebec's University Institute of Cardiology and Respiratory Medicine cDepartment of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University dDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Quebec's University Hospital Centre eDepartment of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, PQ, Canada.
Michèle
M
Bisson
Caroline
C
Rhéaume
Emmanuel
E
Bujold
Angelo
A
Tremblay
Isabelle
I
Marc
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second / Q000502:physiology; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000502:physiology; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology