Women who stay fit during pregnancy could help their babies develop healthy hearts, scientists have claimed.
Researchers from the US and Germany said people whose mothers exercised when they were pregnant will have healthier blood vessels in adult life.
They think this is because exercise can programme a baby’s arteries to resist heart problems.
Mothers who exercise while pregnant programme their baby's arteries to resist heart problem, researchers believe
While previous studies have suggested that women can improve their babies’ health by exercising in pregnancy, this is the first evidence that those positive effects could continue into their adulthood.
The current guidelines for pregnant women recommend thirty minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most if not all days of the week.
At present, women are advised that the more active and fit they are during pregnancy, the easier it will be to cope with labour and get back into shape after the baby arrives.
But the NHS does not currently issue any advice about the possible advantages of exercise in pregnancy to the baby.
The scientists from the US and Germany carrying out the latest research claim the results provide evidence that maternal exercise during pregnancy can programme the arteries of the offspring to better resist heart problems in the future.
Current guidelines for pregnant women recommend thirty minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most if not all days of the week
They hope their research - carried out in pigs - will eventually lead to guidelines on the long-term benefits in humans.
Dr Sean Newcomer, of California State University San Marcos USA, and Dr Martin Bahls, of Universitätsmedizin Greifswald Germany said ‘Our study was the first to demonstrate that maternal exercise during pregnancy significantly impacts vascular function in adult offspring.
‘A second important aspect of the findings in our study is that previous research identified the endothelium, which is the single-cell layer lining all blood vessels, to be susceptible to foetal-programming interventions.
‘Contrarily, we show that the vascular smooth muscle was significantly altered in adult offspring from exercise trained mothers.’
The research involved pregnant swine who were treadmill exercised for 20-45 minutes for five days a week - the typical length of time recommended in clinical guidelines for pregnant women in the US and Europe.
They assessed vascular function in the femoral arteries of the offspring at a much later stage after birth.
Those whose mothers exercised were found to have better quality blood vessels compared with those of mothers who did not exercise, according to a new study published in the journal Experimental Physiology (must credit).
The effect comes from a significant alteration in the vascular smooth muscle lining the arteries, which is vital to cardiovascular health.
Previous studies only focused on offspring at an early age, so this study is the first to demonstrate the effects of exercise on adult offspring.
The research took place in pigs as they have human-like responses to physical activity and can be trained to complete exercise regimens, whilst avoiding the time and ethical constraints of long-term studies in humans.
Drs Newcomer and Bahls said ‘We are only starting to understand how exercise during gestation influences offspring adult health and disease. Results like ours may help to create guidelines enabling women to make the best decisions for them and their children by providing evidence based health choices.
‘Physical activity may act through multiple pathways which depend on type, duration, intensity and frequency of the exercise regimen.
‘Furthermore, it is essential that future research investigates the coronary circulation and also establishes what impact these reported changes in vascular function in the offspring have on cardiovascular disease susceptibility.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2476292/Fit-mothers-healthier-babies-exercise-pregnancy-strengthens-blood-vessels-unborn-children.html#ixzz2il3y8IHd
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