This database contains cardiopulmonary and body composition data collected in pregnant participants before (the 1st assessment) and after 8-week interventions (the 2nd assessment). The HIIT group participated in a novel prenatal high intensity interval training (HIIT), the EDU group was subjected to educational classes and performed physical activity on their own, in line with standard recommendations. We also presented data on participants’ characteristics: age, week of pregnancy, parity, physical activity level (based on International Physical Activity Questionnaire), education.
The cardiopulmonary data was collected based on the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), using a cycle ergometer with an electronically regulated load (Viasprint 150P; Germany) and a pulmonary gas analyzer (Oxycon Pro; Erich Jaeger GmbH, Germany). We presented pre-test values, maximal and post-test values for two time points: before and after the intervention.
The women sat on a chair for 5 minutes with a silicon face mask for breathing adaptation before the actual test. After the adaptation period, the women began to warm up by cycling for 4 minutes with a relative load of 0.4 W⸱kg-1 of body mass. When the participants had warmed up, the load was increased by 0.2 W⸱kg-1 per minute until they refused. In preparation for the test, the women were encouraged to cycle up to the limit of their physical capacity. They were also informed that they could stop the test at any time. The participants rested for 3 minutes after they finished cycling. We used the same CPET protocol before and after 8-week exercise program. At these two timepoints the number of applied Watts was related to individual participant’s body weight (after 8 weeks the number of Watts was adjusted to the increased body weight).
The maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) was defined as the volume of oxygen consumed at maximal exertion sustained for 15 seconds. The AT was determined utilizing a modified V-slope method and the ventilatory equivalent (VE) method. The aerobic threshold (AerT) was determined by plotting the VE as a function of oxygen consumption (VE/VO2). The volume of oxygen (VO2) at which the lowest VE/VO2 values were observed was defined as the AerT. We set an individual heart rate at the aerobic threshold (HR/AerT) for each participant.
To determine the changes in the parameters related to the anaerobic thresholds of the participants, we analyzed the following parameters: volume of oxygen at the anaerobic threshold (VO2/AT), heart rate at the anaerobic threshold (HR/AT), percentage of maximal oxygen uptake at the anaerobic threshold (%VO2max/AT), time between the HR/AerT and HR/AT (time during the CPET from the moment when the aerobic capacity was fully used to the threshold when anaerobic exercise started to dominate), and time above the HR/AT (time from the moment when anaerobic exercise started to dominate up to exhaustion and termination of the test).
We measured participants’ body mass and composition via bioelectrical impedance analysis using InBody 720 (InBody USA, Cerritos, CA). The body mass index (BMI) was calculated as follows: weight in kilograms/height in meters squared. Before and after the HIIT and EDU interventions, we utilized the standard InBody 720 to record and analyze the total fat mass percentage (%FM) and total fat-free mass percentage (%FFM).
Based on this data we aimed at assessing the effects of an 8-week HIIT program on selected parameters related to the anaerobic threshold and body composition during pregnancy.
We concluded that the 8-week HIIT program had a positive impact on the exercise capacity and the body composition in women with uncomplicated pregnancies without producing adverse obstetric and neonatal effects. Despite physiological pregnancy weight gain and pregnancy progression, after the HIIT intervention the parameters related to the AT were better or maintained at the same level. What is more, the %FM decreased in this group. Our findings indicated that supervised HIIT combined with education on a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy had a greater impact on health parameters than education alone.
This dataset was collected as part of a larger project on "The Effect of Pre- and Postnatal High Intensity Interval Training and Moderate Intensity Continuous Training on Biological, Functional and Psychological Markers of Pregnancy Disorders and Non-communicable Diseases in Mothers and Offsprings" (NCT05009433).
(2025-03-09)
