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Male offspring more likely to benefit from pregnant mother's exercise: study

Xinhua, April 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Male offspring appear to get more health benefits than females from their mothers' exercise during pregnancy, an animal study suggested Wednesday.

The study in rats, published in the U.S. journal PLOS ONE, also found mothers who exercised moderately while pregnant reduced their offspring's body weight, insulin and blood glucose levels, potentially lessening their risk of developing metabolic disorders such type-2 diabetes later in life.

The research team, led by Professor Margaret Morris of the University of New South Wales in Australia, examined whether the detrimental effects of maternal obesity on offspring could be reduced by the mother's voluntary exercise, prior to and during pregnancy.

During the study, female rats were fed a high fat diet, including pies, cakes, dim sims and biscuits, for six weeks before mating and throughout gestation and lactation.

Half of them underwent voluntary exercise introduced 10 days prior to mating and available until their offspring were delivered, while others remained sedentary.

Gene expression relating to glucose, metabolism and inflammation in fat and muscle tissue were then measured 19 days after birth.

"Maternal exercise appeared to decrease the metabolic risk induced by maternal obesity, limiting fat deposits around the abdomen in the offspring and improving their insulin and glucose metabolism during the lactation window," Professor Morris said.

However, the effects were sex specific, with males appearing to benefit more from maternal exercise than females, the study showed.

"Maternal exercise significantly improved male offspring's insulin and glucose metabolism whereas female offspring showed only modest improvements," Morris said, adding that the reason behind this is still a mystery and that they hope to solve it with further research.

The researchers said the findings add to the existing body of evidence that points to the importance of both diet and exercise for pregnant women to ensure the future health of their baby. Endite