SynthesisWomen's health (London, England)
The effects of aerobic and resistance exercise on blood pressure in uncomplicated and at risk pregnancies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Women's health (London, England). The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Vascular health and exercise in females throughout the lifespan: Exploring puberty, pregnancy and menopause.Experimental physiology · 2026Review
- The physical activity and sedentary behavior among pregnant women in Macao: A cross-sectional study.PloS one · 2025Article
- Exercise Intervention to Mitigate the Cardiovascular Sequence of Pregnancy Complications.Cureus · 2024Review
- The Impact of Medical Physical Training and a Structured Personalized Exercise Training Program on Hemodynamic Parameters and Arterial Stiffness in Pregnant Women.Biomedicines · 2024Article
- Benefits of Resistance Training During Pregnancy for Maternal and Fetal Health: A Brief Overview.International journal of women's health · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundRegular exercise performed during pregnancy has been shown to reduce the risk of developing perinatal gestational hypertensive conditions. Further evidence on the exact parameters of exercise needed to explain these beneficial responses is required, within both uncomplicated and at-risk pregnancies.
objectiveThe aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of aerobic and resistance exercise on blood pressure during pregnancy.
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES AND
methodsAn online search of six search engines was conducted up to February 2023. Randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental, cohort, and longitudinal studies were included. Studies included an acute exercise bout or intervention of land-based aerobic and/or resistance exercise during any trimester in uncomplicated and at-risk pregnancies. Outcomes included mean arterial pressure (MAP), or systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP).
resultsFollowing the removal of duplicates, 1538 articles were screened with 59 studies meeting the inclusion criteria for the review (randomized controlled trials (RCTs) n = 34, clinical trials n = 19, cohort n = 5 and cross-sectional n = 2), and 21 studies included in the meta-analysis. A random effects model was used with mean difference calculated in mmHg. Overall, there were no statistically significant effects of exercise on resting blood pressure (BP) outcomes in pregnant women with normal blood pressure compared to control/usual care populations following intervention (SBP mean diff -1.54 mmHg (favours intervention), p = 0.38; DBP mean diff -2.25 mmHg (favours intervention), p = 0.1; MAP mean diff -1.75 mmHg (favours intervention), p = 0.31). In at-risk pregnant women, both aerobic and combination exercise significantly reduced BP outcomes compared to control (SBP mean diff -3.91 mmHg, p < 0.01; DBP mean diff -2.9 mmHg, p = 0.01; MAP mean diff -2.38 mmHg, p = 0.01). Twenty-seven studies reported an acute increase in SBP and DBP during aerobic exercise, with no difference found between uncomplicated and at-risk pregnancies.
conclusionsCompared to usual care, aerobic and/or resistance exercise performed throughout uncomplicated pregnancy had no influence on blood pressure. Pregnant women with no diagnosed complications should be encouraged to exercise regularly due to the multitude of known benefits. In women who are at risk of, or diagnosed, with gestational hypertensive conditions during pregnancy, moderate to vigorous exercise during pregnancy improves blood pressure outcomes. Higher risk pregnancies may reduce their risk of future cardiovascular complications through regular exercise training during pregnancy. REGISTRATION: CRD42020159998.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.