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Cited by 115Birth, Development, and HealthGestational Diabetes Research and ManagementPregnancy and preeclampsia studies

Exercise rescues obese mothers’ insulin sensitivity, placental hypoxia and male offspring insulin sensitivity

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Fernandez-Twinn, Denise S., Gascoin, Geraldine, Musial, Barbara, Carr, Sarah, Duque-Guimaraes, Daniella, Blackmore, Heather L., Alfaradhi, Maria Z., Loche, Elena +3 more·2017·Scientific Reports
DOI 10.1038/srep44650PMC PMC5349590
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Abstract

The prevalence of obesity during pregnancy continues to increase at alarming rates. This is concerning as in addition to immediate impacts on maternal wellbeing, obesity during pregnancy has detrimental effects on the long-term health of the offspring through non-genetic mechanisms. A major knowledge gap limiting our capacity to develop intervention strategies is the lack of understanding of the factors in the obese mother that mediate these epigenetic effects on the offspring. We used a mouse model of maternal-diet induced obesity to define predictive correlations between maternal factors and offspring insulin resistance. Maternal hyperinsulinemia (independent of maternal body weight and composition) strongly associated with offspring insulin resistance. To test causality, we implemented an exercise intervention that improved maternal insulin sensitivity without changing maternal body weight or composition. This maternal intervention prevented excess placental lipid deposition and hypoxia (independent of sex) and insulin resistance in male offspring. We conclude that hyperinsulinemia is a key programming factor and therefore an important interventional target during obese pregnancy, and propose moderate exercise as a promising strategy to improve metabolic outcome in both the obese mother and her offspring.

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  • In offspring of high-fat diet fed dams, treadmill exercise improved the glucose tolerance of both male and female offspring.

    “In offspring of high-fat diet fed dams, treadmill exercise improved the glucose tolerance of both male and female offspring [134,135,136].”

    From Recent Experimental Studies of Maternal Obesity, Diabetes during Pregnancy and the Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease (2022) · cites this paper as [136]

    The Methods (Gestational studies; Offspring studies, page unavailable) describe treadmill exercise in obese dams, but offspring measurements were taken from males only. The Results (Exercise rescues offspring hyperinsulinemia and adipose tissue insulin resistance, page unavailable) report improved fasting insulin and adipose IRS-1 in male offspring, not glucose tolerance in either sex. The glucose-tolerance test reported in the Results was performed on dams. (LLM, conf=0.89)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • Several groups have shown that enforced maternal treadmill exercise or voluntary wheel running had significant effects on the metabolic health of male and female offspring.

    “Several groups have shown that enforced maternal treadmill exercise or voluntary wheel running had significant effects on the metabolic health of male and female offspring [131,132,133,134,135,136].”

    From Recent Experimental Studies of Maternal Obesity, Diabetes during Pregnancy and the Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease (2022) · cites this paper as [136]

    The Methods (Gestational studies) describe maternal treadmill exercise, and the Results (Exercise rescues offspring hyperinsulinemia and adipose tissue insulin resistance) report significant metabolic benefits in male offspring. This study did not assess metabolic outcomes in female offspring or test voluntary wheel running; the Discussion mentions wheel running as a different approach. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • In general, the most significant effects of maternal exercise on offspring metabolic health are observed when maternal exercise begins before mating and is continued throughout pregnancy.

    “In general, the most significant effects are observed when maternal exercise begins before mating and is continued throughout pregnancy.”

    From Recent Experimental Studies of Maternal Obesity, Diabetes during Pregnancy and the Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease (2022) · cites this paper as [136]

    The Methods (Gestational studies; page unavailable) describe exercise beginning one week before mating and continuing to gestational day 17. The Discussion reports improved insulin sensitivity in male offspring. The paper does not compare exercise-start times, so it does not establish that this schedule produces the most significant effects in general. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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References 45 · Cited by 115

Research works printed but not linked: 37

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Authors
Fernandez-Twinn, D. S., Gascoin, G., Musial, B., Carr, S., Duque-Guimaraes, D., Blackmore, H. L., Alfaradhi, M. Z., Loche, E., Sferruzzi-Perri, A. N., Fowden, A. L., & Ozanne, S. E.
Affiliations
University of Cambridge (GB)
ORCID
Venue
Scientific Reports
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2017-03-14
Volume
7
Issue
1
Pages
44650-44650
ISSN
2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/srep44650
PMC
PMC5349590
OpenAlex
W2611371461
Cited by
115
References
45
Citations by year
2026: 8 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 2
FWCI
12.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Apollo (University of Cambridge) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Apollo (cc-by)
Funders
  • British Heart Foundation (PG/14/20/30769, 14/20, FS/09/029/27902, /30769)
  • European Commission (2007–2013, FP7 2007-2013, FP7/2007, 289346)
  • Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (2014/20380-5, 2014/, 20380-5)
  • Directorate for Biological Sciences
  • Medical Research Council (FP7/20072013, MC_ UU_12012/4, MC_PC_12012)
  • Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/M001636/1)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Birth, Development, and Health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Gestational Diabetes Research and Management
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
Keywords
maternal obesity, exercise intervention, insulin sensitivity, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, offspring programming, placental hypoxia, epigenetic programming, male offspring, mouse model
MeSH terms
Animals, Hypoxia, Blood Glucose, Cholesterol, Female, Glucose Tolerance Test, Hyperinsulinism, Insulin, Insulin Resistance, Male, Obesity, Physical Conditioning, Animal, Placenta, Pregnancy, Triglycerides, Leptin, Lipid Metabolism, Mice, Diet, High-Fat

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