Maternal exercise is associated with enhanced systolic reserve and altered mitochondrial respiration in adult female offspring.

Maternal exercise may influence long-term cardiovascular health in offspring, yet its effects on intrinsic myocardial performance and mitochondrial metabolism remain incompletely defined. We investigated whether maternal voluntary wheel running before and during pregnancy is associated with cardiac adaptations in adult offspring. Female C57BL/6J mice were assigned to sedentary (Sed) or exercise (Ex) groups, with running initiated 3 wk before mating and continued through gestation and lactation. Adult offspring (29-32 wk) underwent high-fidelity pressure-volume (P-V) loop analysis at baseline and, in females, during β-adrenergic stimulation to assess systolic reserve. Cardiac mitochondria were evaluated by high-resolution respirometry together with measurements of reactive oxygen species emission. Maternal exercise did not alter maternal body weight before delivery or adult offspring body weight, whereas cardiac mass index was significantly lower in A-Ex offspring than in A-Sed offspring. Baseline hemodynamics were largely similar between maternal groups. In females, maternal exercise was associated with lower end-systolic elastance (E