Heat production during exercise in pregnancy: discerning the contribution of total body weight

Studies have reported enhanced thermoregulatory function as pregnancy progresses; however, it is unclear if differences in thermoregulation are attributed to weight gain or other physiological changes. This study aimed to determine if total body weight will influence thermoregulation (heat productio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pflügers Archiv 2024-05, Vol.476 (5), p.769-778
Main Authors: O’Rourke, Nicholas, Dervis, Sheila, da Silva, Danilo F., Geurts, Carla, Haman, François, Adamo, Kristi Bree
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Body Temperature Regulation - physiology
Body Weight - physiology
Body weight gain
Cell Biology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise - physiology
Female
Heart rate
Heart Rate - physiology
Human Physiology
Humans
Integrative Physiology
Molecular Medicine
Neurosciences
Physical training
Pregnancy
Receptors
Thermogenesis - physiology
Thermoregulation
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Summary:Studies have reported enhanced thermoregulatory function as pregnancy progresses; however, it is unclear if differences in thermoregulation are attributed to weight gain or other physiological changes. This study aimed to determine if total body weight will influence thermoregulation (heat production ( H prod )), heart rate, and perceptual measurements in response to weight-bearing exercise during early to late pregnancy. A cross-sectional design of healthy pregnant women at different pregnancy time points (early, T1; middle, T2; late, T3) performed a 7-stage weight-bearing incremental exercise protocol. Measurements of H prod , HR, and RPE were examined. Two experimental groups were studied: (1) weight matched and (2) non-weight matched, in T1, T2, and T3. During exercise, equivalent H prod at T1 (326 ± 88 kJ), T2 (330 ± 43 kJ), and T3 (352 ± 52 kJ) ( p  = 0.504); HR ( p  = 0.830); and RPE ( p  = 0.195) were observed in the WM group at each time point. In the NWM group, H prod (from stages 1–6 of the exercise) increased across pregnancy time points, T1 (291 ± 76 kJ) to T2 (347 ± 41 kJ) and T3 (385 ± 47 kJ) ( p  
ISSN:0031-6768
1432-2013
DOI:10.1007/s00424-024-02929-w