Sports and training recommendations for pregnant athletes

A scoping review published in November in the BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine Journal and authored by Anneke Klostermann and others.

In collaboration with Balgrist University Hospital and Zurich University Hospital, Anneke Klostermann researched the topic of how athletes can exercise during pregnancy.

What is already known about this topic? What can we add? And what will happen in the future?

Getting pregnant as an athlete:

More and more elite and competitive female athletes are reaching the peak of their careers during the period of optimal fertility and do not want to postpone the birth of children until they have finished their sporting careers. This is particularly the case in endurance disciplines, where training age plays a relevant role.

In addition, if possible, these athletes want to plan their pregnancy so that it does not coincide with potential career peaks (e.g. the Olympic cycle with a peak every 4 years).

Recommendations from the literature:

However, there is scant evidence and anecdotal reports of best practice recommendations to address this issue in elite female athletes. Due to the lack of direct evidence for female athletes and the gaps in knowledge regarding the safe frequency, duration and intensity of training and competition, it is possible to Recommendations can only be made individually and under close observation of the well-being of mother and child. The need for practical information on which sports and to what extent they can be continued safely and without risk to mother and child is of great importance, especially for athletes who are very uncertain about this, but also for coaches and healthcare providers.

Aim of our study:

In this scoping review, we aim to (1) identify and assess the current scientific evidence in the literature on sport and exercise recommendations for elite and competitive female athletes, (2) summarize the available evidence for the volume and intensity of physical activity for continuous exposure and acute exposure to physical activity in relation to performance, as well as for high-risk sports and their effects on pregnancy outcome parameters in female athletes, and (3) highlight existing knowledge gaps.

What can we conclude from our research?

Nevertheless, there are no known significant negative consequences of physical activity for mothers or children. Both people who adhere to training recommendations or participate in higher impact activities during pregnancy and pregnant elite and competitive athletes are encouraged to approach sporting activities with more confidence.

Read the whole article at: https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/bmjosem/8/4/e001395.full.pdf

Author:

Anneke Penny

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References:

1 Allen SV, Hopkins WG. Age of peak competitive performance of elite athletes: a systematic review. Sports Med 2015;45:1431-41

2.Davenport MH, Nesdoly A, Ray L, et al. Pushing for change: a qualitative study of the experiences of elite athletes during pregnancy. Br J Sports Med 2022;56:452-7

3.Bo K, Artal R, Barakat R, et al. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016/2017 evidence summary from the IOC expert group meeting, Lausanne. Part 5. recommendations for health professionals and active women. Br J Sports Med 2018;52:1080-5

4 Solli GS, Sandbakk Øyvind. Training characteristics during pregnancy and postpartum in the world’s most successful cross country skier. Front Physiol 2018;9:595