Author(s): SZUMILEWICZ, A., SUN, J., SANTOS-ROCHA, R., MIESZKOWSKI, J., KOCHANOWICZ, A., Institution: GDANSK UNIVERSITY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND SPORT, Country: POLAND, Abstract-ID: 2297

INTRODUCTION:
To avoid blood pressure (BP) disorders, pregnant women have been advised to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). However, there is little data available on the cardiovascular effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in the perinatal period. We aimed to determine how an 8-week HIIT programme affects insulin, leptin, resistin, and irisin levels and their role in BP regulation during pregnancy.
METHODS:
The study involved 54 Caucasian participants identifying as women in uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies (age 32 ± 4 years, week of gestation 24 ± 4, mean ± SD). Thirty-four were randomly allocated to the 8-week supervised HIIT programme (HIIT group). The comparative (EDU) group consisted of twenty pregnant women who completed an educational programme and were encouraged to perform MVPA on their own. Before and after the interventions, maternal blood pressure (BP), serum glucose, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism markers (including insulin, leptin, resistin, and irisin) from blood samples taken in fasting conditions were assessed.
RESULTS:
All participants had normal glucose and lipid profile values throughout the study. At baseline, both HIIT and EDU groups presented similar systolic (111.76 ± 9.42 and 115.95 ± 11.77 mmHg) and diastolic BP (73.12 ± 6.63 and 72.95 ± 8.66 mmHg) at rest. Although all participants met the inclusion criteria (normotension, normoglycaemia, and normolipidaemia), further analyses showed statistically significant differences in baseline levels of blood insulin (p = 0.001), leptin (p = 0.001), and resistin (p = 0.046). The baseline irisin concentration did not differ between groups (p = 0.266). In the HIIT group, we observed a significant decrease in diastolic BP (p = 0.031), and in the EDU group, a significant decrease in systolic BP (p = 0.005), but all values were within the normotension range. HIIT training induced a statistically significant increase in insulin (p = 0.005) and resistin (p < 0.001) levels. Moreover, leptin production tended to increase but did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.071). The only significant change observed in the EDU group was the decrease in resistin (p = 0.037). Despite these differences between groups, we observed similar associations of selected biomarkers with BP after eight weeks of interventions. In both groups, higher diastolic BP was significantly correlated with higher insulin (r = 0.51 and r = 0.45; p < 0.05) and leptin (r = 0.39 and r = 0.62; p < 0.05). After both interventions, we observed no associations of resistin and irisin with systolic or diastolic BP.
CONCLUSION:
Physical activity in pregnancy, regardless of intensity, optimises physiological and biochemical responses, maintaining normotension. HIIT, similarly to the commonly recommended MVPA, due to the interconnection of hormones regulating the cardiovascular and metabolic systems, can help avoid BP disorders without negatively affecting the course of pregnancy or neonatal outcomes.