The effect of exercise at home during the Covid-19 pandemic on serum levels of insulin markers in women with gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a disorder of carbohydrate and glucose metabolism that is first seen during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes, in addition to maternal complications, also causes adverse effects in children. Considering that increasing the level of physical activity has an important effect on reducing the complications of diabetes, this study was conducted with aim to evaluate the effect of exercise at home during the Covid-19 pandemic on serum levels of insulin markers in women with gestational diabetes.

This semi-experimental study was performed on 40 pregnant women with gestational diabetes and 24-28 gestational age referred to the clinic of Shahid Heydari in Nahavand in 2020. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups (n=20 in each group). The intervention group performed the selected exercises at home using univariate cache for eight weeks and three days a week for 20 to 40 minutes every day; the control group had no physical activity during this period. Then, through blood sampling, the serum level of fasting blood sugar and insulin was measured. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 21) and Shapiro–Wilk test, Levon's test, paired t-test, and independent t-test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

In this study, eight weeks of selected exercises at home could have a significant increase on fasting insulin levels (-2.482±1.036 vs. 0.116±0.626) and significant decrease on FBS levels (45.550±14.978 vs. -0.150±6.823) in pregnant women in the intervention group compared to the control group (P<0.001). While these exercises did not show a significant effect on the variables of insulin sensitivity and insulin resistance in the intervention groups compared to the control group after eight weeks of selected exercises (P>0.05).

The eight weeks of exercise at home using univariate caches based on the presented protocol regarding to the principle of overload and increasing resistance (with moderate intensity), have a significant effect on insulin levels in pregnant women with gestational diabetes.