Can pregnant athletes lift weights without hurting the baby?
Resistance Training Does Not Decrease Placental Blood Flow During Valsalva Maneuver: A Novel Use of 3D Doppler Power Flow Ultrasonography
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Placental blood flow increased during resistance training, not decreased.
Medical guidelines have long warned that the Valsalva maneuver (holding breath during lifts) could reduce fetal perfusion — but this study found the opposite effect in healthy, active pregnant women.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a pregnant athlete, continue lifting weights up to 50 lb 1RM — especially if you're already active — as it may improve placental blood flow.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Placental blood flow increased during resistance training, not decreased.
Medical guidelines have long warned that the Valsalva maneuver (holding breath during lifts) could reduce fetal perfusion — but this study found the opposite effect in healthy, active pregnant women.
Practical Takeaways
If you're a pregnant athlete, continue lifting weights up to 50 lb 1RM — especially if you're already active — as it may improve placental blood flow.
Publication
Journal
Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Year
2021
Authors
Sara J. Gould, C. Cawyer, Louis A. Dell’Italia, Lorie M. Harper, G. McGwin, M. Bamman
Related Content
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Claims (8)
Doing the Valsalva maneuver—like holding your breath and bearing down—while lifting weights during pregnancy doesn’t reduce blood flow to the baby or lower the baby’s oxygen levels.
Pregnant women who regularly work out and do strength training may see better blood flow to the placenta during their workouts compared to other pregnant women, which could help the baby get more oxygen and nutrients.
Lifting weights up to 50 pounds while pregnant doesn't hurt blood flow to the baby—and might even help it a little—so the idea that lifting is always dangerous for the baby might not be true.
When pregnant athletes do weight training, their blood flow to the placenta temporarily goes up a little bit — and that’s a good thing because it means the baby isn’t getting less blood than it needs.
A special ultrasound technique can pick up tiny changes in blood flow to the placenta when a pregnant woman does strength training, which might help doctors watch over the baby's blood supply during workouts.