Aims: The aim of our study was to examine the feasibility of the use of a pedometer to quantify the amount of exercise and the relationship between the amount of exercise and carbohydrate metabolism in pregnant women with impaired glucose tolerance.
Methods: Seven pregnant women with impaired glucose tolerance (gestational diabetes: three, overt diabetes in pregnancy: one, pregestational diabetes type 2: three) were provided with pedometers. The relationship between pedometer data with blood glucose levels, maternal body weight, amount of insulin administered, blood hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, blood glycoalbumin levels and infant birth weight was investigated.
Results: When the 24-h-based data were examined, there was no correlation between the number of steps walked and blood glucose level immediately after walking, nor the average number of steps per day and the fasting blood glucose level in the next day. However, 4-week-based data showed that there was a negative correlation between the number of steps per day and the change in HbA1c level. Moreover, there was a negative correlation between the average number of steps per day and change in the maternal body weight. A 1-week-based data from five participants who were being administered insulin indicated that there was a negative correlation between the average number of steps per day and the total amount of insulin administered per day.
Conclusion: Active application of pedometers is suggested to be feasible to improve metabolic control in pregnant women with glucose intolerance through the quantification of their exercise.
Keywords: exercise; gestational diabetes mellitus; impaired glucose tolerance; pedometer; pregnancy.
© 2019 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.