Exercise during pregnancy in suitable women's fitness wear is not only safe but could be enhanced by hormones and increase blood flow, according to a sports scientist.

A study in America found that the volume of a pregnant woman's blood increases by 60 per cent during the first three months of pregnancy, which improves the amount of oxygen that reaches muscles by nearly one third.

"This could improve aerobic capacity, enabling a woman to run, cycle or swim at a certain pace for longer," said Professor Greg Whyte, a former British Olympic modern pentathlete and now a sports scientist at Liverpool John Moores University.
He said there are other adaptations in the first trimester that could also make a difference such as a "surge in hormones", which could increase muscle strength.

Increases in other hormones such as relaxin improve joint mobility to a "beneficial degree" said Prof Whyte.

Last week it was reported that over a third of pregnant women still believe the old wives' tale that they should not exercise after becoming pregnant if they did not before.

The NHS recommends donning ladies fitness wear and staying fit during pregnancy. It said exercise helps expecting mothers cope better with the physical demands of pregnancy, labour and motherhood. ADNFCR-2569-ID-19362213-ADNFCR

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