The following is a summary of “Effects of Maternal Exercise Modes on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Offspring Stem Cells,” published in the July 2023 issue of Endocrinology & Metabolism by Jevtovic, et al.

The influence of maternal exercise on pregnancy outcomes and the metabolic health of offspring has been recognized. Yet, there was a lack of data regarding the specific effects of different modes of prenatal exercise on the metabolic phenotype of progeny, particularly about umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). For a randomized controlled trial, researchers sought to investigate and elucidate the impact of diverse maternal exercise regimens on the metabolism of offspring umbilical cord-derived MSCs. This study employed a randomized controlled trial design and was conducted within a clinical research facility. The study cohort comprised healthy females aged between 18 and 35 years, all in the initial 16 weeks of gestation. Participants were randomly assigned to engage in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, resistance exercise (RE), or a combination of both per week or to be part of a non-exercising control group. At the time of delivery, MSCs were isolated from the umbilical cords of the newborns. The metabolism of these MSCs, specifically glucose and fatty acid metabolism, was evaluated using radiolabeled substrates.

Offspring of mothers who engaged in any form of exercise demonstrated notable differences in the partitioning of fatty acids (oleate and palmitate) towards complete oxidation compared to non-exercising mothers (P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, the exercise groups exhibited lower rates of incomplete fatty acid oxidation (P ≤ 0.05), corresponding to infant adiposity at 1 month. Notably, all exercise groups displayed higher insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis rates (P ≤ 0.05), with the RE group showing the most substantial effect (P ≤ 0.05). The RE group also exhibited the most prominent enhancement in MSC glucose oxidation rates (P ≤ 0.05) and partitioning towards complete oxidation (P ≤ 0.05).

The findings from the study underscored the beneficial impact of maternal exercise on glucose and lipid metabolism in offspring MSCs. Notably, resistance exercise appeared to have the most significant positive influence on MSC glucose metabolism.

Source: academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/108/7/e360/7017763?redirectedFrom=fulltext