Pregnancy, cold water swimming and cortisol: The effect of cold water swimming on obstetric outcomes - PubMed

Abstract

Cold water swimming is an activity which has received increased attention in recent years, with advertised benefits including improvements in mood, energy and exercise recovery. Cold water swimmers also report experiencing less stress in daily life, the health implications of which may be far-reaching. This may be of particular interest to expecting mothers, as we explore how stress may negatively impact upon birth outcomes. We present the hypothesis that women who regularly enjoy cold water swimming can expect to experience improved obstetric outcomes over those who do not; cold water swimming is a significant physiologically stressful event which may, on habitual exposure, attenuate the stress response, leading to a reduction in negative birth outcomes.

Similar articles

• Cold Water Swimming-Benefits and Risks: A Narrative Review.

  Knechtle B, Waśkiewicz Z, Sousa CV, Hill L, Nikolaidis PT. Knechtle B, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 2;17(23):8984. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17238984. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020. PMID: 33276648 Free PMC article. Review.

• Adaptation related to cytokines in man: effects of regular swimming in ice-cold water.

  Dugué B, Leppänen E. Dugué B, et al. Clin Physiol. 2000 Mar;20(2):114-21. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2281.2000.00235.x. Clin Physiol. 2000. PMID: 10735978

• Habitual cold-water swimming and upper respiratory tract infection.

  Collier N, Lomax M, Harper M, Tipton M, Massey H. Collier N, et al. Rhinology. 2021 Oct 1;59(5):485-487. doi: 10.4193/Rhin21.068. Rhinology. 2021. PMID: 34428265

• Is swimming exercise or cold exposure for rats?

  Harri M, Kuusela P. Harri M, et al. Acta Physiol Scand. 1986 Feb;126(2):189-97. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1986.tb07805.x. Acta Physiol Scand. 1986. PMID: 3705982

• Winter Swimming: Body Hardening and Cardiorespiratory Protection Via Sustainable Acclimation.

  Manolis AS, Manolis SA, Manolis AA, Manolis TA, Apostolaki N, Melita H. Manolis AS, et al. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2019 Nov;18(11):401-415. doi: 10.1249/JSR.0000000000000653. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2019. PMID: 31702722 Review.

Cited by

• The Effect of Cold-Water Swimming on Energy Metabolism, Dynamics, and Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Muscles of Aging Rats.

  Bosiacki M, Tarnowski M, Misiakiewicz-Has K, Lubkowska A. Bosiacki M, et al. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Apr 5;25(7):4055. doi: 10.3390/ijms25074055. Int J Mol Sci. 2024. PMID: 38612863 Free PMC article.

• Position Statement on Exercise During Pregnancy and the Post-Partum Period - 2021.

  Campos MDSB, Buglia S, Colombo CSSS, Buchler RDD, Brito ASX, Mizzaci CC, Feitosa RHF, Leite DB, Hossri CAC, Albuquerque LCA, Freitas OGA, Grossman GB, Mastrocola LE. Campos MDSB, et al. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2021 Jul;117(1):160-180. doi: 10.36660/abc.20210408. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2021. PMID: 34320089 Free PMC article. English, Portuguese. No abstract available.

• Cold Water Swimming-Benefits and Risks: A Narrative Review.

  Knechtle B, Waśkiewicz Z, Sousa CV, Hill L, Nikolaidis PT. Knechtle B, et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 2;17(23):8984. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17238984. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020. PMID: 33276648 Free PMC article. Review.

MeSH terms

Substances