PMID 36550564

Research
All papers

Online supervised high-intensity interval training during pregnancy: effects on maternal mental health and cardiorespiratory fitness in a randomized controlled trial

Wilczyńska D, Walczak-Kozłowska T, Radzimiński Ł, Oviedo-Caro MÁ, Santos-Rocha R, Szumilewicz A

Question

Can online supervised HIIT during pregnancy improve or maintain maternal mental health and cardiorespiratory fitness compared with online education alone?

Summary

In pregnant women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies, 8 weeks of online supervised bodyweight HIIT maintained VO2max while an education-only group declined. Mental-health measures improved modestly across groups, with mixed patterns by outcome. This is useful pregnancy-specific evidence, but it should not be generalized to unscreened pregnancy or non-pregnant users.

Methodology

  • Caucasian pregnant women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies.
  • 54 participants.
  • Bodyweight mixed aerobic, resistance, postural, neuromotor, pelvic-floor, and relaxation exercises.
  • Work intervals: 30-60 seconds.
  • Recovery: 30-60 seconds.
  • Intensity: Intervals above individually measured anaerobic threshold as comfortable; HR/AT averaged 87% +/- 5% HRmax.
  • 60 minutes.
  • 3 sessions per week.
  • 8 weeks; 23 prescribed sessions.
  • Randomized controlled trial
  • VO2max, Depression, Fear of childbirth, and Quality of life were tracked.

Outcomes

VO2max

HIIT maintained VO2max while the education group declined.

Time effect F=20.387, p<0.001, eta2=0.290; group x time F=16.928, p<0.001, eta2=0.253; final HIIT 25.21 +/- 5.11 vs EDU 19.72 +/- 4.14, p<0.001.

Mixed

COVID fear

Fear of COVID decreased in both groups.

HIIT Z=-3.328, p<0.001; EDU Z=-2.661, p=0.008.

Improved

Mental health

Mental-health measures showed modest and outcome-specific improvements rather than a uniform HIIT advantage.

The article reports positive trends in both groups, with statistically significant mental-health improvement mainly in HIIT and stronger response for some fear/anxiety outcomes in EDU.

Mixed

Physical activity

Self-reported physical activity did not significantly change within or between groups.

IPAQ analyses showed no significant within- or between-group changes.

No clear change

Insights

  • Remote supervised prenatal HIIT can be delivered with bodyweight exercises, HR watches, RPE, and Talk Test when participants are obstetrically cleared.
  • Pregnancy-specific screening and professional supervision are central to the protocol.
  • Fitness maintenance during pregnancy is a more defensible claim than broad mental-health superiority.

Limitations

  • Pregnancy-specific sample limits generalization.
  • Self-reported physical activity may be biased.
  • Missed second assessments reduced available outcome data.
  • COVID fear scale was not validated specifically for pregnant women.
  • Education and social contact may have contributed to mental-health changes.

Safety

  • All participants remained under obstetric care.
  • The interventions were not associated with negative effects on pregnancy course or childbirth parameters.
  • The protocol required pregnancy-specific clearance and specialist supervision.