The effects of maternal training on plasma copper, magnesium and zinc in rats

Abstract

The effects of a moderate intensity training program prior to and during pregnancy on plasma copper, magnesium and zinc were studied in 60 Sprague-Dawley female rats. Rats were assigned into 4 groups: untrained, non-pregnant (UNP), trained, non-pregnant (TNP), untrained, pregnant (UP), and trained, pregnant (TP). Rats were trained on a treadmill (TM; 10° incline) at a speed of 30 m/min −1, 5 d/wk, 1 h/d for approximately 10 wks preceding impregnation, and continued training through d 17 of gestation. Animals consumed rat chow ad libitum. A training effect was demonstrated by higher (p<0.05) succinate dehydrogenase activity in the red vastus lateralis and vastus intermedius muscles of TNP and TP rats. Mean plasma copper, magnesium and zinc, measurements were within the normal range for all experimental groups. Plasma magnesium and zinc were not influenced by pregnancy or training. The interaction of pregnancy and training (TP) resulted in lower (P<0.05) plasma copper values compared to pregnancy (UP) alone (1.85±0.11 vs 2.23±0.08) or training (TNP) alone (1.85±0.11 vs 2.34±0.14). Training appears to have little influence on plasma magnesium and zinc, while eliciting significant changes in plasma copper of pregnant rats.