Effects of Resistance Exercise During Pregnancy

University of Georgia (UGA)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pregnancy

Treatments: Other: Wait list; Behavioral: Resistance exercise; Other: Education

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02557893

R01NR008131

Details and patient eligibility

About

Pregnant women at increased risk for back pain were studied during the second trimester and randomized to12-weeks of resistance exercise, education or waitlist. Several outcomes were assessed including physical function, quality of life and mood.

Full description

A parallel group trial was completed at a single site. Second trimester women (n=134) were randomly assigned (in blocks of 3) to 12-weeks of wait list, bi-monthly pregnancy education classes or twice weekly low-to-moderate intensity resistance training. Resistance training involved one abdominal exercise with no external load and five exercises with an external load that gradually progressed (leg extension, leg press, arm lat pull, leg curl, and lumbar extension). Several outcomes were assessed including physical function, quality of life and mood.

Enrollment: 134 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 38 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Pregnant and able to complete baseline testing during gestational week 21 to 25 of pregnancy.

Exclusion criteria

• Regular resistance exercise training (≥ twice per week during the past month)

• an orthopedic or cardiovascular limitation

• a psychiatric disorder

• or had in the current or a prior pregnancy any of the following:

  • two or more miscarriages
  • premature labor
  • placental previa,
  • poor fetal growth,
  • low pre-pregnancy body weight (BMI < 17.5)
  • a multiple birth pregnancy
  • pre-eclampsia
  • preterm rupture of membranes
  • uterine growth retardation
  • incompetent cervix/cerclage
  • recurrent vaginal bleeding
  • anemia or
  • diabetes.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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134 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Resistance exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Resistance exercise involved 12 weeks of weight lifting exercise

Treatment:

Behavioral: Resistance exercise

Wait list

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Wait list participants were tested on the outcomes during their pregnancy and were eligible to participate in a post-partum supervised exercise program. The wait list participants formed a no treatment control group.

Treatment:

Other: Wait list

Pregnancy education

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Maternity nurses taught six bimonthly pregnancy education classes (\~20 per class) which covered several topics including information about what to expect during normal labor and delivery, common interventions during delivery (medications, induction, Cesarean delivery), parenting skills needed for baby care, breastfeeding, baby and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation, typical child development and communicating with infants. No physical activity education was included in the curriculum. The pregnancy education participants formed an attention control group.

Treatment:

Other: Education