Muscle strengthening exercises during pregnancy are associated with increased energy and reduced fatigue

Abstract

Introduction: Physical inactivity likely contributes to fatigue and low energy during pregnancy but whether acute resistance exercise attenuates these symptoms is unknown.

Methods: Twenty-six women performed six low-to-moderate intensity resistance exercises twice per week from weeks 23 to 35 of pregnancy and measurements were made before and after each workout using the Mental and Physical State Energy and Fatigue Scales.

Results: Acute resistance exercise usually increased perceived physical and mental energy (92% to 96% of workouts, respectively). These increases did not differ significantly across the 24 exercise sessions for feelings of physical energy or mental energy, even after adjusting for variations in attendance (median = 22/24 workouts). Acute resistance exercise usually decreased perceived physical and mental fatigue (79% to 88% of workouts, respectively), and ANCOVA showed these decreases did not differ significantly across the 24 exercise sessions for feelings of physical fatigue or mental fatigue even after adjusting for variations in attendance.

Discussion: The results suggest acute, low-to-moderate intensity muscle strengthening exercise during pregnancy is effective for transiently improving feelings of energy and fatigue.

• Mood
• pregnancy
• resistance exercise
• vigor
• weight lifting

Acknowledgements

James F. Clapp, III, deceased, was a consultant on this project and an internationally known expert on exercise and pregnancy. Appreciation is expressed to the pregnant women participants, study administrator Tameka Gude, exercise specialist Cheryl Maldonado, project assistants Emily Davis and Sarah Reynolds, obstetrical consultant Thomas W. Goggin, M.D., co-investigator Elaine Cress, exercise specialist and founder of the Atlanta, Georgia based FitFor2, Inc., Lisa Stone, UGA Fitness Center Director Harry DuVal and the participating obstetricians and midwives in the Athens, Georgia area.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. This project was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health (RO1NR008131).

Current knowledge on the subject

• Feelings of low energy and fatigue are common during pregnancy.

• Fatigue is often poorly managed during pregnancy and drug treatments are avoided.

• Physical inactivity contributes to fatigue and is reduced during pregnancy.

What this study adds

• Feelings of physical and mental energy are reliably increased after a single bout of low-to-moderate intensity resistance exercise performed by pregnant women.

• Feelings of physical and mental fatigue are reliably reduced after a single bout of low-to-moderate intensity resistance exercise performed by pregnant women.

• Most pregnant women increase feelings of energy (>88%) and reduce feelings of fatigue (>76%) after acute low-to-moderate intensity weight lifting.