Physical fitness and maternal body composition indices during pregnancy and postpartum: the GESTAFIT project

ABSTRACT

We explored the association of physical fitness (PF) during pregnancy with maternal body composition indices along pregnancy and postpartum period. The study comprised 159 pregnant women (32.9 ± 4.7 years old). Assessments were carried out at the 16th and 34th gestational weeks (g.w.) and six weeks postpartum. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), muscular strength (absolute and relative values) and flexibility were measured. Body composition indices were obtained by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at postpartum. The results, after adjusting for potential covariates at the 16th g.w., indicated that greater CRF was associated with lower postpartum indices total fat mass, android and gynoid fat mass (all, p < 0.05). Greater absolute upper-body muscular strength was associated with greater pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG); and postpartum indices body weight, BMI, lean mass, fat free mass, fat mass, gynoid fat mass, T-score and Z-score bone mineral density (BMD) (all, p < 0.05). Greater upper-body flexibility was associated with lower pre-pregnancy BMI; and postpartum indices body weight, BMI, lean mass, fat free mass, fat mass, android fat mass and gynoid fat mass, and with greater GWG (all, p < 0.05). At the 34th g.w., greater CRF was additionally associated with greater postpartum T-score and Z-score BMD (both, p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study reveals that greater PF levels, especially during early pregnancy, may promote a better body composition in the postpartum period. Therefore, clinicians and health promoters should encourage women to maintain or improve PF levels from early pregnancy.

Highlights

• Given that obesity is on the rise today, it is important to find strategies to cope with it, especially during pregnancy.

• The results of the present study suggest that greater physical fitness during early pregnancy is key to promoting better body composition in the postpartum period.

• It should be of clinical interest to encourage pregnant women to maintain or improve their physical fitness levels.

KEYWORDS:

• Cardiorespiratory fitness
• strength
• flexibility
• bone density
• gestation

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the plenty co-operation and participation of all the pregnant women recruited in the GESTAFIT project.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors contribution

NMJ collected, analyzed and interpreted the data and drafted the manuscript; ICR, MFA, LBG, JCP and VAA contributed to the data collection and revised the manuscript; and VAA designed the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data analysis. The authors have not conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

Data will be made available on request. Anyone interested in discussing collaborative research should contact the corresponding author.

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Ethics Committee on Clinical Research of Granada, Regional Government of Andalusia, Spain (code: GESFIT-0448-N-15).

Additional information

Funding

The present study was partially funded by the Regional Ministry of Health of the Junta de Andalucía (PI-0395-2016) and the University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigación 2016, Excellence actions: Units of Excellence; Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES), and by the Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidades and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), ref. SOMM17/6107/UGR. MFA was additionally funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (Grant number FPU17/03715). This study is included in the thesis of NMJ enrolled in the Official Doctoral Programme in Biomedicine of the University of Granada.