Research in Sport Medicine and Technology

Background: This study aimed to examine the effects of endurance swimming training during pregnancy on pregnant rat’s neonate liver tissue apoptotic index. Methods: 16 pregnant rats (200 ± 20 g) were divided into two swimming and control groups. The rats of training group were forced from first day of pregnancy to delivery in a particular pool. The sampling of the neonate liver tissue was performed two days after born and the liver apoptotic percent index was determined with TUNEL technique. Statistical analysis of the data was done using independent t-test (ɑ ≤0.05). Results: The results showed that the average neonate liver apoptotic index in the control and training group respectively was 6.40% and 6.20% that indicate no significant difference between two groups (p<0.05). In addition, exercise produced no significant changes in birth weight (p <0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that swimming endurance training during pregnancy maybe have no negative and worrying impact on neonate growth and liver apoptotic index.