Exercise study conducted with nursing mothers

Recently, Cheryl Lovelady, a professor in the UNCG Nutrition Department, and Laurie Wideman, an associate professor in the UNCG Department of Kinesiology conducted a study examining if nursing mother who exercised while breastfeeding could reduce their bone density. "I have been researching the effects of exercise on breastfeeding mothers and their breast milk since 1985," Lovelady said. "This is when I began my doctoral research studies at the University of CA at Davis. At that time, many doctors were telling women they could not exercise or diet while they breastfed their babies. However, there was no research to support that advice. I had just had my first baby, and was very interested in this topic and am still very interested in researching these issues. "

Out of the 20 participants who were tracked between the range of four to 20 weeks after childbirth, ten women exercised, while the other ten did not. In contrast, although ten did not exercise after giving birth, all of the mothers were sedentary for the last trimester of pregnancy in order to participate in the study.

Of those women who did exercise during lactation, they exercised in their homes three times a week. Women who did not exercise lost 2.2 percent more of their bone density in their lower spines. This supports that exercise does lower the risk of osteoporosis. The risk of women developing osteoporosis increases in women who do not exercise or do not consume adequate calcium in their regular diets. "I think this study is important because it shows that simple exercises that can be done in your home can help to maintain the bone density of moms who are breastfeeding.," Wideman said. "You don't have to go to a gym to get these benefits."

The next step that the research team is taking on is studying overweight breastfeeding mothers for six months. "I think we will find the same results for overweight women," Lovelady predicted. "That is, they will lose more fat mass and less bone mineral density than women not exercising or restricting their calorie intake.

Anyone seeking more information on the study may contact Cheryl Lovelady at Cheryl_lovelady@uncg.edu or read the October issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.