Pregnant Elite Athletes and Pregnant Women Exercising With Moderate Intensity

The aim of this study is to 1. register possible changes to uteroplacental circulation in relation to physical tests, 2. to register energy and nutritional intake, relationship towards the body during pregnancy and during the early period after giving birth, 3. register the experience of guidance given related to exercise, nutrition, and recovery, 4. register elite athletes' experience of combining the role of being a mom and an elite athlete, and 5. register attitudes and reactions from the support system when it comes to being an elite athlete and being pregnant. Material and method: 30 pregnant female elite athletes and 30 moderately physically active pregnant women will be recruited for the completion of physical testing and questionnaires and questionnaires only, respectively. 20 national team leaders/coaches and 10 sponsors will be recruited for a semi-structured interview about attitudes, reactions and guidance towards athletes who become pregnant and still wish to continue their career as an athlete after pregnancy.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Physical Activity; Pregnancy Related; Nutritional Status; Exercise; Blood Flow; Body Image; Energy Intake; Fetus Risk; Body Temperature

Detailed Description

The aim of this study is to 1. register possible changes to uteroplacental circulation in relation to physical tests, 2. to register energy and nutritional intake, relationship towards the body during pregnancy and during the early period after giving birth, 3. register the experience of guidance given related to exercise, nutrition, and recovery, 4. register elite athletes' experience of combining the role of being a mom and an elite athlete, and 5. register attitudes and reactions from the support system when it comes to being an elite athlete and being pregnant. Material and method: It is expected that we can include 30 pregnant female elite athletes for the physiological testing who also will complete the questionnaires included in the study. In addition, 30 moderately physically active pregnant women will be recruited for the completion of the questionnaires only. Both groups answer questions related to exercise, pregnancy related issues, nutrition and their relationship towards their body. To obtain enough participants, data collection will continue for five years. During the same period, 20 national team leaders/coaches and 10 sponsors will be recruited for a semi-structured interview. The physiological testing will be conducted during the 23-29th week of pregnancy. The athletes will conduct a running test and resistance tests in the lab. The following measures will be registered: pulsatility index (PI) and volume blood flow in both uterine arteries, 2. the fetus' pulsatility index (PI) in the umbilical cord artery and heart rate frequency, 3. body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and saturation in the mother during rest and during physical exertion. Data on gestational development and birth will be collected based on information given by the participant herself and by birth records and health records. Coaches/leaders and sponsors will in their interview, answer to questions related to attitudes, reactions and guidance of athletes who become pregnant and still wish to continue their career as an athlete after pregnancy.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 90

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen, PhD; Phone Number: +47 92241745; Email: jorunn.sundgot-borgen@nih.no

Study Locations

• Norway
  • Oslo, Norway, 0806
    • The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
    • Contact: Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen, PhD; Phone Number: +47 92241745; Email: jorunn.sundgot-borgen@nih.no

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 40 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The sample represents 1. pregnant female elite athletes, 2. pregnant females who are only moderately physically active, 3. the athletes sponsors, 4. the athletes coach/team leader.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Athletes: pregnant female pregnant elite athletes at a recruiting team, junior or senior, who represent athletes within endurance, weight sensitive, ball sports, and technical sports.
• Controls/reference group: pregnant females who are moderately physically active.
• For both groups: age 18-40 år.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known illness or disease, which defines their pregnancy as a high-risk pregnancy
• Age >40 years old.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Case-Control
• Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Number of groups / cohorts

4

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Elite athletes; Pregnant female elite athletes
Controls; Moderately physical active pregnant females
Sponsors; Sponsors of the athletes
Coaches/tema leaders; Coaches or team leaders of the atheltes

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Exercise	Self-developed questions about exercise volume before, during, and after pregnancy. Participants respond to open ended questions and questions with yes/no and multiple response options.	5 minutes
Fertility and pregnancy related issues	Participants respond to open ended questions and questions with yes/no and multiple response options.	5 minutes
Nutrition	Questionnaire. Four days of dietary registration during, where participants respond both to questions with Likert scales, YES/NO, and multiple response options, 1st, 2nd, 3rd trimester, and 3 months after delivery.	5 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pulsatility index	Ultrasound	15 minutes
Volume blood flow	Ultrasound	5 minutes
Heart rate frequency	Heart rate monitor	5 minutes
Body temperature	Thermometer	5 minutes
Blood pressure	Sphygmomanometer	10 minutes
Attitudes, reactions and guidance of athletes who become pregnant and still wish to continue their career as an athlete after pregnancy	Participants respond to open ended questions and questions with yes/no and multiple response options.	5 minutes
Satisfaction with life	Satisfaction with life scale. 5 items answered on a 7-point Likert scale, where higher sum score indicates higher satisfaction with life	1 minute
Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI-IA)	Questionnaire where five questions are answered to on a 6-point Likert scale, with higher score indocates higher level of depressive symptoms.	1 minute

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jorunn Sundgot-Borgen, PhD, The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Anticipated): November 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2026
• Study Completion (Anticipated): December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 4, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 4, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): September 13, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 14, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 6, 2022
• Last Verified: April 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Pregnancy; Mental health; Fetus; Elite athlete; Physical health
• Other Study ID Numbers: 125635

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No