Abstract
BackgroundIt is recommended that women accumulate 150-min of weekly moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA) when pregnant. Engaging in regular physical activity (PA) confers many health benefits to both the mother and the fetus. However, the molecular mechanisms by which these health benefits are bestowed are not well understood. One potential factor that may be contributing to the observed benefits is myokines, which are small peptides secreted by skeletal muscles. In the non-pregnant population, myokines are believed to be involved in the molecular mechanisms resulting from PA. The objective of this study was to characterize and compare the myokine profile of pregnant and non-pregnant women, after an acute bout of MPA.MethodsPregnant (n = 13) and non-pregnant (n = 17) women were recruited from the Ottawa region to undergo a treadmill walking session at moderate-intensity (40–60% heart rate reserve). Pre- and post-exercise serum samples were taken, and a set of 15 myokines were analyzed although only 10 were detected. IL-6 was analyzed using a high-sensitivity assay, while FGF21, EPO, BDNF, Fractalkine, IL-15, SPARC, FABP-3, FSTL-1, and oncostatin were analyzed using various multiplex assays.ResultsThe pregnant and non-pregnant groups did not differ in terms of age, height, non/pre-pregnancy weight, BMI, and resting heart rate. Baseline levels of EPO and oncostatin were higher in the pregnant group while FGF21 was higher in the non-pregnant group. Circulating levels of three myokines, FGF21, EPO, and IL-15 significantly increased in response to the acute exercise in the pregnant group. Non-pregnant women exhibited an increase in three myokines, FABP-3, FSTL-1, and oncostatin, while one myokine, EPO, decreased post-exercise. SPARC, fractalkine and BDNF were shown to increase post-exercise regardless of pregnancy status while the response for BDNF was more pronounced in the non-pregnant group.ConclusionThis is the first study examining myokine response following an acute bout of PA in pregnancy. Moderate intensity PA, which is recommended during pregnancy, elicited an increase in four myokines post-compared to pre-exercise in the pregnant group. Further research is warranted to understand the role of myokines in pregnancy.
Highlights
Evidence shows that engaging in regular physical activity (PA) during pregnancy is associated with a plethora of health benefits for both the mother and the fetus (Nascimento et al, 2012; Mudd et al, 2013)
The duration of the exercise session was longer for non-pregnant compared to pregnant women (p = 0.006) (Table 1)
These results suggest that the exercise session was of comparable relative intensity, and that the pregnant and nonpregnant groups did not differ in variables that would influence target heart rate (HR) zone intensity, such as age and Resting HR (RHR), the weight that pregnant women gain across pregnancy is likely hindering their ability to reach the higher speeds
Summary
Evidence shows that engaging in regular physical activity (PA) during pregnancy is associated with a plethora of health benefits for both the mother and the fetus (Nascimento et al, 2012; Mudd et al, 2013). The 2019 Canadian guidelines for PA throughout pregnancy recommend that pregnant women without contraindications engage in at least 150-min moderate-intensity PA per week (Mottola et al, 2018). PA engagement during pregnancy may have positive downstream effects for the health of the infant (Ferraro et al, 2012). It is recommended that women accumulate 150-min of weekly moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA) when pregnant. Engaging in regular physical activity (PA) confers many health benefits to both the mother and the fetus. The objective of this study was to characterize and compare the myokine profile of pregnant and non-pregnant women, after an acute bout of MPA
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