title: Running habits of competitive runners during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Running is a popular sport that may be performed safely during pregnancy. Few studies have characterized running behavior of competitive female runners during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Women modify their running behavior during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  Observational, cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level 2.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred ten female long-distance runners who ran competitively prior to pregnancy completed an online survey characterizing training attitudes and behaviors during pregnancy and postpartum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy percent of runners ran some time during their pregnancy (or pregnancies), but only 31% ran during their third trimester. On average, women reduced training during pregnancy, including cutting their intensity to about half of their nonpregnant running effort. Only 3.9% reported sustaining a running injury while pregnant. Fewer than one third (29.9%) selected fetal health as a reason to continue running during pregnancy. Of the women who breastfed, 84.1% reported running during breastfeeding. Most felt that running had no effect on their ability to breastfeed. Women who ran during breastfeeding were less likely to report postpartum depression than those who did not run (6.7% vs 23.5%, P = 0.051), but we did not detect the same association of running during pregnancy (6.5% vs 15.2%, P = 0.16).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Women runners reported a reduction in total training while pregnant, and few sustained running injuries during pregnancy. The effect of running on postpartum depression was not clear from our findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We characterized running behaviors during pregnancy and breastfeeding in competitive runners. Most continue to run during pregnancy but reduce total training effort. Top reasons for running during pregnancy were fitness, health, and maintaining routine; the most common reason for not running was not feeling well. Most competitive runners run during breastfeeding with little perceived impact.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Adam S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Tenforde
authors.affiliation: Mid-Hudson Family Medicine Residency Program, Institute for Family Health, Kingston, New York.
authors.forename: Kierann E S
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Toth
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Langen
authors.affiliation: Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fredericson
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Health Research and Policy, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Kristin L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Sainani
keywords: behavior; health; postpartum depression; pregnancy; running