Influence of Physical Activity on Microcirculatory Changes in Healthy Pregnant Women

Abstract

In pregnancy physical activity is considered as a preventive measure for diseases of the cardiovascular system. In studies, the data on microvascular adaptation in pregnancy are scarce. The prenatal program included 35 pregnant women who exercised and 35 women who did not. The shape of the capillaries of the nail skin fold was analyzed with capillaroscopy. At the beginning of the study, the shape of the capillary was normal in all pregnant women. After 8 weeks in 40.91% of pregnant women who exercised and in 47.06% of pregnant women who did not exercise, the shape of the capillary loop was abnormal with bending of the limbs, tortuosity of the limbs, and crossing of the limbs. After the 8th week of the prenatal program, no significant difference in the shape of the capillary loop of the nail skin fold was found between pregnant women who performed prenatal exercises and pregnant women who did not.