Effect of Physical Activity Training on Fasting Blood Sugar in Women with Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes is the most common endocrine disease in pregnancy that may cause fetal macrosomia, eclampsia and preeclampsia, preterm labor, abortion, dystocia, and perinatal mortality. Increased level of physical activity has a significant impact on reducing the complications of diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of exercise training on fasting blood sugar level in pregnant women with gestational diabetes.
In this quasi-experimental study, two groups of 30 pregnant women with gestational diabetes who were referred to health centers in Zabol, Iran, 2016, were randomly chosen through stratified sampling. The experimental group received eight 90-minute training sessions and those in the control group received the usual training. The data was collection before and after the intervention and analyzed using descriptive and inferential tests, including t-test, in SPSS.
Before the intervention, the experimental and control groups were not significantly different in terms of mean blood glucose level. In the control group, mean blood glucose level was not significantly different before and after the intervention (P It seems that physical activity is associated with increased uptake of glucose and insulin secretion in women with gestational diabetes. Standard physical exercises, with increased energy expenditure and oxygen consumption after exercise, can improve metabolic health in these people.