This study examined pregnancy and birth outcomes in 60 Norwegian athletes—10 elite and 50 highly active recreational women—who exercised well above standard pregnancy guidelines. The athletes maintained high training volumes during pregnancy, averaging about 11.6 hours per week for elite athletes and 7 hours for recreational athletes, including endurance and resistance training. Most pregnancies resulted in full-term vaginal births with healthy birth weights, and researchers found no clear evidence that high exercise levels negatively affected maternal or neonatal health outcomes.

While a few elite athletes developed conditions such as gestational diabetes or hypertension, overall complication rates were low and birth outcomes were similar to those seen in the general population. Babies were born at normal gestational ages and weights, and no infants had low birth weight. Although the study was small and merely observational, it suggests that for women who are already highly trained, continuing relatively high levels of exercise during pregnancy—including some high-intensity training—may not carry the risks often assumed.

https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-025-07572-6