Women and Birth
Volume 19, Issue 4 , Pages 107-111, December 2006

Postural effects when cycling in late pregnancy

  • Maureen E. O’Neill

      Affiliations

    • Cardiovascular Research Department, Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), Pacific Highway, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: 42 Chaseling Street, Phillip, ACT 2606, Australia. Tel.: +61 2 6281 2588.
    • ,
  • Karen A. Cooper

      Affiliations

    • Cardiovascular Research Department, Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), Pacific Highway, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
    • ,
  • E. Stewart Boyce

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics, Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), Pacific Highway, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia
    • ,
  • Stephen N. Hunyor

      Affiliations

    • Department of Cardiology at RNSH, Kolling Institute and University of Sydney, Australia

Received 20 March 2006; received in revised form 12 September 2006; accepted 12 September 2006.

Summary 

Aim

This study assessed if upright cycling is preferable to semi-recumbent cycling during pregnancy.

Method

Healthy women with low risk singleton pregnancies were tested at 34–38 weeks gestation. They cycled for 12min, either semi-recumbent (45°, n=27) or upright (n=23), at 135–145beatsmin−1.

Results

When semi-recumbent, minute ventilation was greater (p<0.03) at rest and systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were greater during exercise (p<0.05). Exercise maternal heart rate, oxygen consumption, oxygen consumption per kilogram, minute ventilation, cardiac output, stroke volume, mean and diastolic blood pressures and arterio-venous oxygen difference were posture-independent. All increased with exercise (p<0.01), except stroke volume when semi-recumbent (p>0.05). Small post-exercise fetal heart rate increases (by 8beatsmin−1, p<0.05) were similar in both postures (n=11 in each sub-group), with no adverse changes. Fetal heart rate accelerations and uterine activity (n=11 in each sub-group) were not influenced by posture or exercise.

Conclusions

(1) Neither posture had a distinct advantage. (2) Both postures were safe for short duration cycling. (3) The same target maternal heart rates are suitable for both postures because they resulted in similar oxygen consumptions and fetal heart rates.

Keywords: Exercise, Pregnancy, Heart rate, fetal, Semi-recumbent, Cycling, Blood pressure

 

PII: S1871-5192(06)00089-8

doi:10.1016/j.wombi.2006.09.002

Women and Birth
Volume 19, Issue 4 , Pages 107-111, December 2006

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