Key result
Light-moderate resistance exercise, with and without the Valsalva maneuver, elicited proportionate cardiac responses in pregnant women compared to nonpregnant controls, reinforcing its safety.
Why the study?
Few pregnant women incorporate resistance exercise into aerobic training due to safety uncertainties, particularly regarding the Valsalva maneuver.
Does resistance exercise with and without the Valsalva maneuver cause abnormal acute cardiovascular responses in healthy pregnant women compared to nonpregnant women?
Observational (n=30)
Does resistance exercise with and without the Valsalva maneuver cause abnormal acute cardiovascular responses in healthy pregnant women compared to nonpregnant women?
Light-to-moderate resistance exercise, including with the Valsalva maneuver, elicits proportionate and safe acute cardiac responses in healthy pregnant women.
May support light-moderate resistance exercise in pregnancy counseling; leaves open need for randomized trials.
PURPOSE: Exercise guidelines recommend incorporating resistance exercise (RE) into a regular aerobic training program during pregnancy. However, few women do so because of uncertainties about the safety of prenatal RE, particularly regarding the Valsalva maneuver (VM). The aim of this study was to determine the acute cardiovascular responses to prenatal RE at different intensities, with and without VM. METHODS: Healthy pregnant (n = 15; 22.9 ± 5.9 wk of gestation) and nonpregnant women (n = 15) were recruited. Maximal strength over 10 repetitions (10RM) for semireclined leg press was determined. Women underwent standardized assessments of cardiac structure, function and mechanics (echocardiography), heart rate (ECG), and blood pressure (photoplethysmography) at baseline, during RE at 20%, 40%, and 60% 10RM while free-breathing, and at 40% 10RM with VM. Significant differences were identified between subjects at baseline (independent t-tests), between and within subjects during free-breathing RE (general linear model, baseline as a covariate), and between and within subjects for 40% 10RM free-breathing versus VM (mixed-effects model). RESULTS: Resting cardiac output, heart rate, and stroke volume were greater in pregnant women, without differences in blood pressure, ejection fraction, or cardiac mechanics. During free-breathing RE, pregnant women had a greater ejection fraction compared with nonpregnant women; however, all other hemodynamic variables were not different between groups. Cardiac mechanics during free-breathing RE across all intensities were not different between groups, with the exception that pregnant women had a lower apical circumferential strain that did not affect global cardiac function. No differences were observed between groups during 40% 10RM RE with and without VM. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women have proportionate cardiac responses to light-moderate RE, both with and without the VM. These findings reinforce the safety of RE in healthy pregnancy.
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Meah et al. (2020) conducted an observational in Healthy pregnancy (n=30). Resistance exercise with and without Valsalva maneuver vs. Nonpregnant women and free-breathing exercise was evaluated on Acute cardiovascular responses (cardiac structure, function, mechanics, heart rate, and blood pressure). Light-moderate resistance exercise, with and without the Valsalva maneuver, elicited proportionate cardiac responses in pregnant women compared to nonpregnant controls, reinforcing its safety.
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