Research from joint first author Denise Fernandez-Twinn (Institute of Metabolic Science (IMS)) shows that exercise immediately prior to and during pregnancy restores key tissues in the body, making obese mice better able to manage blood sugar levels and lowering the risk of long-term health problems.
 
The research, published in Physiological Reports, was carried out in collaboration with colleagues from Physiology, Development and Neuroscience (PDN) and follows earlier research from Susan Ozanne group’s (IMS) published in Nature Scientific Reports which showed that maternal exercise improved not only the mothers’ insulin sensitivity, but critically, had beneficial effects for her adult offspring.
 
While being overweight or obese during pregnancy increases the risk of complications and predisposes mother and infant to developing metabolic disease, exercise is known to improve how the body manages blood sugar levels. The research demonstrated that, in mice, exercise affected signalling pathways involved in responding to insulin, in storage and breakdown of lipids and in growth and the synthesis of proteins.
 
“A moderate level of exercise immediately before and then during pregnancy leads to important changes in different tissues of the obese mother, effectively making the tissues more like those seen in non-obese mothers” said joint senior author Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri (PDN).