Publications by authors named "Linda E May"

Maternal obesity decreases infant energy expenditure, subsequently predisposing infants to greater adiposity and weight gain. Conversely, some findings suggest that maternal exercise may increase infant energy expenditure; however, the impact of maternal exercise mode (i.e.

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Inactivity during pregnancy and postpartum is largely a result of women's attitudes and misunderstandings of physical activity, especially in Iran. This scoping review critically assesses the barriers and facilitators influencing physical activity among pregnant and postpartum Iranian women to provide the basis for future physical activity interventions. Ten databases and platforms were searched up to 1 June 2024: Medline, SportDISCUS, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Review Database, Clinical Trial, SID, ISC, and Web of Science.

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Non-pharmaceutical interventions are needed to target the growing intergenerational cycle of obesity. We aimed to determine whether in utero exposure to different exercise doses during pregnancy directly reduces infant cellular and whole-body adiposity. Pregnant women completed ~24 weeks of supervised exercise training; for standardization of exercise analysis (frequency, intensity, time, and volume-FIT-V), metrics were assessed from 16 to 36 weeks.

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The aim of this study was to show the effects of different maternal exercise modes on infant cord blood proteome. We used infant cord blood from two randomized controlled trials where women with a wide range of BMI and free of pregnancy complications participated in controlled and supervised aerobic, resistance, or combination (aerobic+resistance) exercise from <16 weeks of gestation until delivery. Results of this study showed that infant cord blood proteome is altered in a maternal exercise mode specific manner.

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Besides the well-recognized influence of maternal health on fetal in utero development, recent epidemiological studies appoint paternal preconception metabolic health as a significant factor in shaping fetal metabolic programming and subsequently offspring metabolic health; however, mechanisms behind these adaptations remain confined to animal models. To elucidate the effects of paternal obesity (P-OB) on infant metabolism in humans, we examined mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which give rise to infant tissue, remain involved in mature tissue maintenance, and resemble the phenotype of the offspring donor. Here, we assessed mitochondrial functional capacity, content, and insulin action in MSC from infants of fathers with overweight [body mass index (BMI: 25-30 kg/m); paternal overweight (P-OW)] or obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m; P-OB) while controlling for maternal intrauterine environment.

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Background: Preterm delivery typically increases health risk for neonates and is associated with longer infant hospital stay and financial burden. Prenatal exercise dose (frequency, intensity, type, time, volume) have been shown to influence birth outcomes. Increased prenatal exercise dose could therefore provide a critical reduction in health risk and financial burden in preterm neonates.

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Article Synopsis
  • Maternal exercise during pregnancy is linked to higher REE and better oxygen use in infants, suggesting it may help reduce the risk of obesity later on.
  • The study found that higher maternal BMI negatively impacted infant REE in non-exercising mothers, but this relationship didn't exist in infants of exercising mothers, indicating exercise may promote healthier energy levels in babies.
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Article Synopsis
  • Maternal exercise (ME) has been shown to positively impact infant metabolic health, but most understanding comes from animal studies.
  • Research on infant mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reveals that ME enhances MSC mitochondrial function and insulin signaling, leading to improved energy use.
  • Infants of mothers who exercised were found to be leaner at 1 month, and there was an inverse relationship between MSC respiration and infant fat levels at 6 months.
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Background: Prenatal exercise improves birth outcomes, but research into exercise dose-response effects is limited.

Methods: This study is a retrospective, secondary analysis of pooled data from three blinded, prospective, randomized controlled trials. Prenatal exercise frequency, intensity, type, time, and volume (FITT-V) were assessed in supervised sessions throughout pregnancy.

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The current recommendations for prenatal exercise dose align with those from the American College of Sports Medicine; 150 min of moderate intensity every week of pregnancy. However, recent works suggest there may be a dose-dependent beneficial effect for mother and offspring; maternal and offspring health outcomes respond differently to low, medium, and high doses of prenatal exercise. It is, therefore, our aim to summarize the published evidence (years 1950-2023) for five metrics of prenatal exercise training commonly reported, that is, "FITT-V": Frequency (number of sessions), Intensity (metabolic equivalents "METs"), Time (duration of sessions), Type (exercise mode), Volume (exercise MET*mins).

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Objective: In adults, skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity (S ) and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) are linked with a predisposition to obesity. The current study aimed to determine the effects of maternal exercise on a model of infant skeletal muscle tissue (differentiated umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs]) S and FAO and analyzed for associations with infant body composition.

Methods: Females <16 weeks' gestation were randomized to either 150 min/wk of moderate-intensity aerobic, resistance, or combination exercise or a nonexercising control.

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Individuals with insulin resistance and obesity display higher skeletal muscle production of nonoxidized glycolytic products (i.e., lactate), and lower complete mitochondrial substrate oxidation to CO2.

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Purpose: The objective of this study is to assess the effects of supervised, recommended levels of prenatal aerobic exercise on 1-month-old infant cardiac function.

Methods: Eligible pregnant women were randomly assigned to either an aerobic exercise group that participated in 150 min of supervised, moderate-intensity (40% to 59% V̇O 2peak , 12 to 14 on Borg rating of perceived exertion) aerobic exercise per week for 24 wk or more or a nonexercising group that consisted of 150 min·wk -1 of relaxation techniques. One-month-old infant echocardiogram was performed to assess infant cardiac function , including heart rate (HR), left-ventricular stroke volume, cardiac output, cardiac index, ejection fraction, fractional shortening, and velocity time integral at the aortic valve.

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Caloric restriction and exercise exert significant improvements in cardiac autonomic function as measured by HRV in overweight and obesity. Aerobic exercise training, within recommended guidelines coupled with weight loss maintenance, retains cardiac autonomic function benefits from weight loss in previously obese individuals.

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Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent in African American (AA) than Caucasian (C) adults. Furthermore, differential substrate utilization has been observed between AA and C adults, but data regarding metabolic differences between races at birth remains scarce. The purpose of the present study was to determine if there are racial differences in substrate metabolism evident at birth using a mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) collected from offspring umbilical cords.

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In the United States, pregnant women have low concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are essential for fetal development. Although maternal blood provides accurate polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) concentrations, venipuncture is expensive and not always accessible. PUFA-containing foods consumption, both omega-3 ad omega-6 is supposed to reflect in the status (plasma, RBC, adipose tissue) of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

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Context: Maternal exercise positively influences pregnancy outcomes and metabolic health in progeny; however, data regarding the effects of different modes of prenatal exercise on offspring metabolic phenotype is lacking.

Objective: To elucidate the effects of different modes of maternal exercise on offspring umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) metabolism.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

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Article Synopsis
  • About 10% of pregnancies experience hypertensive disorders, and previous research mostly focused on aerobic exercise's impact on maternal blood pressure, leaving a gap regarding other exercise types.
  • The study aimed to analyze how different types of exercise (aerobic, resistance, and combination) affect maternal blood pressure during pregnancy compared to a non-exercise control group.
  • Results showed no significant differences in maternal characteristics among groups, but certain exercises had varied effects on blood pressure measurements throughout pregnancy.
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Women with overweight or obesity (OWOB) have an increased risk of cesarean birth, preterm birth (PTB), and high birth weight infants. Although regular exercise decreases this risk in healthy weight women, these associations have not been explored in OWOB. Women were randomized at 13-16 weeks' gestation to 150-min of moderate-intensity exercise (n = 131) or non-exercising control (n = 61).

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Objectives: To systematically review studies evaluating one or more components of physical fitness (PF) in pregnant women, to answer two research questions: (1) What tests have been employed to assess PF in pregnant women? and (2) What is the validity and reliability of these tests and their relationship with maternal and neonatal health?

Design: A systematic review.

Data Sources: PubMed and Web of Science.

Eligibility Criteria: Original English or Spanish full-text articles in a group of healthy pregnant women which at least one component of PF was assessed (field based or laboratory tests).

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Although discrete maternal exercise and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation individually are beneficial for infant body composition, the effects of exercise and PUFA during pregnancy on infant body composition have not been studied. This study evaluated the body composition of infants born to women participating in a randomized control exercise intervention study. Participants were randomized to aerobic exercise (n = 25) or control (stretching and breathing) groups (n = 10).

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Preclinical rodent and nonhuman primate models investigating maternal obesity have highlighted the importance of the intrauterine environment in the development of insulin resistance in offspring; however, it remains unclear if these findings can be translated to humans. To investigate possible intrauterine effects in humans, we isolated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from the umbilical cord tissue of infants born to mothers of normal weight or mothers with obesity. Insulin-stimulated glycogen storage was determined in MSCs undergoing myogenesis in vitro.

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Context: Recent preclinical data suggest exercise during pregnancy can improve the metabolic phenotype not only of the mother, but of the developing offspring as well. However, investigations in human offspring are lacking.

Objective: To characterize the effect of maternal aerobic exercise on the metabolic phenotype of the offspring's mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

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Exercise and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation independently improve lipid profiles. The influence of both exercise and PUFAs on lipids during pregnancy remains unknown. This study evaluated exercise, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentrations on lipids during pregnancy.

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The mitochondrial electron transfer complex (ETC) profile is modified in the heart tissue of the offspring born to an exercised sow. The hypothesis proposed and tested was that a regular maternal exercise of a sow during pregnancy would increase the mitochondrial efficiency of offspring heart bioenergetics. This hypothesis was tested by isolating mitochondria using a mild-isolation procedure to assess mitochondrial ETC and supercomplex profiles.

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