Search

Background: Substance abuse in pregnancy increases the chance of physical and neurobehavioral disabilities as well as many other undesirable fetal outcomes. In nonpregnant populations, physical exercise has shown to be an effective adjunctive therapy option for substance use disorders. Given the known positive maternal and fetal physiological and mental health benefits associated with prenatal exercise, perhaps exercise during pregnancy may also be a viable adjuvant therapy option for women with substance use disorders. The purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the available literature that has assessed the relationship between prenatal exercise and substance use disorders., Methods: A search strategy was developed combining the terms pregnancy, exercise/physical activity, and substance use. A systematic search was completed in the following databases: Medline/PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and ProQuest. Substances eligible for inclusion included illicit drugs, alcohol, and cannabis. Retrieved data were categorized as animal or human model studies, and were summarized narratively., Results: Eight studies were included in this review (five human studies, three animal model studies). Studies in humans suggest that pregnant women with substance use disorders are interested in engaging in physical activity interventions; however, known acute metabolic and physiological responses to prenatal exercise may be impaired in this population. Rodent models show preliminary evidence for improved mental health outcomes following prenatal exercise for substance use disorders., Conclusion: The findings from this review may inform the development of future clinical trials to test the effect of structured exercise programs as an adjunctive treatment option for pregnant women with substance use disorders., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Exercise is known to improve the health of the pregnant woman and her child. Studies that have evaluated physiological parameters during prenatal exercise have conflicting results. Better understanding of these physiological responses can modify exercise prescriptions, safety, and monitoring strategies. We examined the association between age, prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), gestational weight gain (GWG), and physical activity (PA) levels, factors that may influence a change in physiological (HR, VO 2 responses) and perceptual (RPE) responses to acute exercise throughout pregnancy., Methods: Twenty-two healthy pregnant women (31.4 ± 3.7 years) performed a Submaximal incremental Walking Exercise Test (SWET). Early- (13-18 weeks), mid- (24-28 weeks), and late-pregnancy (34-37 weeks) were compared. VO 2 (L/min; ml/kg/min), HR (bpm), and RPE were collected at the end of each test stage. PA was determined by accelerometry. We associated PA levels, GWG, prepregnancy BMI, and age with HR, RPE, and VO 2 responses., Results: HR, RPE, and absolute VO 2 were higher in late-pregnancy compared to earlier time points (p < .05; η 2 = 0.299-0.525). Regression models were built for HR (all time points), RPE (early- and late-pregnancy), and VO 2 (L/min; late-pregnancy). HR (late-pregnancy) was predicted by time in vigorous PA, GWG, age, and prepregnancy BMI (r 2 = 0.645; SEE = 5.84). RPE (late-pregnancy) was predicted by sedentary time, GWG, prepregnancy BMI, and age (r 2 = 0.662; SEE = 1.21)., Conclusion: Physiological/perceptual responses were higher in late-pregnancy compared to other time points and associated with combined PA, GWG, prepregnancy BMI, and age. These findings can be used to modify exercise prescriptions and designs for future PA interventions in pregnant women., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)