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Exercise & In Vitro Fertilization
 Women
who exercise routinely for four or more hours per week may reduce their chances
of having a successful
pregnancy with in vitro fertilization (IVF), new
research
suggests.
In general, regular
exercise does not seem to decrease or increase the chances
of having a baby through IVF However, with four or more hours of exercise per
week for 1 to 9 years, the odds of a live birth fell by 40 percent relative to
engaging in no exercise. In addition, this level of activity raised the risks of
implantation failure and pregnancy loss.
Interestingly, the most detrimental effect was observed in
cardiovascular
exercisers, who had a 30% lower chance of successful pregnancy after their first
cycle of IVF. By contrast,
walking for one to three hours a week did not
increase the risk of IVF failure, but women who walked for four or more hours a
week were 50% less likely to have a live birth compared with women who did not
regularly exercise.
The incidence of luteal phase defects,
oligomenorrhea (Medical term for infrequent or light
menstrual periods in women of child-bearing age),
anovulation (Absence of ovulation when it would be
normally expected (in a post-menarchal, premenopausal
woman)), and subsequent infertility are significantly
higher in athletes than nonathletes; however, the
mechanisms of the dysfunction may vary according to type
of exercise
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 While
significant levels of exercise may be expected to change the hormonal milieu in
women, different types of exercise may have varying effects on hormone levels.
Intense aerobic exercise may inhibit release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone
and result in a hypoestrogenic state, while women who perform heavy
resistance
training may increase levels of luteinizing hormone and androgen. Leptin and
insulin levels may decrease with intense exercise.
Keeping in line with the research, heavy exercise such as aerobics,
jogging,
weight lifting, etc.. should be avoided during ovarian stimulation and until the
pregnancy test results are known. Alternative therapies, such as
yoga,
meditation, and acupuncture, may be helpful.
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