Prenatal exercise may lower gestational diabetes risk, but not pregnancy weight gain
Last updated May 6, 2026
Key finding
In overweight or obese pregnant women, supervised exercise did not reduce gestational weight gain, but it may have lowered gestational diabetes incidence and late-pregnancy systolic blood pressure.
This trial tested supervised prenatal exercise in overweight or obese pregnant women. The program did not reduce pregnancy weight gain overall, but fewer women developed gestational diabetes and systolic blood pressure was lower late in pregnancy. Because the study recruited fewer women than planned and adherence was modest, these benefits should be viewed cautiously.
Quick read
Study at a glance
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EvidenceScore™
Low
Study type
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
Follow-up
Medium-Term (3–12 mo)
Risk of bias
Some Concerns
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Plain-language summary
What this paper says
A plain-language read of the study’s main message and where it applies.
Study focus
In overweight or obese pregnant women, supervised exercise did not reduce gestational weight gain, but it may have lowered gestational diabetes incidence and late-pregnancy systolic blood pressure.
Published in
Journal Reference
Publication details and source links for this paper.
Garnæs KK, Mørkved S, Salvesen Ø, Moholdt T. Exercise Training and Weight Gain in Obese Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial (ETIP Trial). PLoS Med. 2016;13(7):e1002079. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002079
Main Effects
Gestational weight gain ↔ no clear difference between groups
Gestational diabetes incidence ↓ in the exercise group
Systolic blood pressure ↓ in late pregnancy with exercise
Evidence Suggest
- The main endpoint, gestational weight gain, was similar in the exercise and control groups.
- Gestational diabetes was reported less often in the exercise group than in standard care.
- Late-pregnancy systolic blood pressure was lower in women assigned to exercise training.
Who this applies to
This study applies most directly to pregnant women with prepregnancy overweight or obesity receiving routine maternity care. It is most relevant to women starting pregnancy without known gestational diabetes but at elevated metabolic risk.
Keep in Mind
The strongest conclusion from this trial is that supervised exercise did not clearly reduce gestational weight gain. The more encouraging findings involved secondary outcomes, especially gestational diabetes incidence and systolic blood pressure. Because the trial was smaller than planned and adherence was only moderate, those benefits may be real but remain less certain than they would be in a larger, better-powered study.
Between the Lines
- The study recruited fewer women than planned.
- Adherence to the exercise program was modest.
- Positive findings were mainly in secondary outcomes.
- The exercise intervention could not be blinded.
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