title: Maternal Cardiac Adaptations to a Physical Exercise Program during Pregnancy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scarce evidence exists regarding the effects of regular pregnancy exercise on maternal cardiovascular health. We aimed to study, using a randomized controlled trial design, the effects of pregnancy exercise on echocardiographic indicators of hemodynamics, cardiac remodeling, left ventricular (LV) function, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred forty-one healthy pregnant women were assigned to a control (standard care) or intervention (exercise) group (initial n = 121/120). The intervention (weeks 9-11 to 38-39) included three supervised sessions per week (55-60 min, with light-moderate intensity aerobic and strength exercises).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main findings were as follows: (i) the proportion of women with excessive weight gain at end pregnancy was lower in the exercise group compared with controls (18% vs 40%, P = 0.005), and (ii) there was a tendency toward lower prevalence of depression at end pregnancy in the former (P = 0.029, threshold P value set at 0.013). No significant exercise training effect was essentially found for echocardiographic variables, CVD risk factors, type/duration of labor, or newborn's outcomes (weight, height, head circumference, Apgar scores, and umbilical cord pH).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Light-moderate intensity supervised exercise is safe for healthy pregnant women and does not impose an additional cardiac overload beyond gestation or affect the main pregnancy outcomes. Such intervention might help decrease, at least partly, the risk of two CVD-associated conditions, excessive weight gain and depression.
authors.affiliation: 1Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre ('i+12'), Madrid, SPAIN; 2AFIPE Research Group, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences INEF, Technical University of Madrid, SPAIN; 3GIDFYS, Department of Health Sciences, European University Miguel de Cervantes, Valladolid, SPAIN; 4Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Institute, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, SPAIN; 5School of Doctorate Studies and Research, European University, Madrid, SPAIN; and 6Departamento de Fisiatría y Enfermería. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud y del Deporte. Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2, Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA, Zaragoza, SPAIN.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perales
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos-Lozano
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanchis-Gomar
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luaces
authors.forename: Helios
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pareja-Galeano
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garatachea
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barakat
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064752:Atrial Remodeling; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control; D004452:Echocardiography; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012307:Risk Factors; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling; D015430:Weight Gain