A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine entitled “Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes: 2016 evidence summary from the IOC expert group meeting, Lausanne” tries to tackle this question.
The study looks at current exercise guidelines for pregnant women. The authors presented their findings at the September 2015 IOC meeting of 16 experts in Lausanne.
Their aims were to:
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Summarise common conditions, illnesses and complaints that may interfere with strenuous exercise and competition, during pregnancy and after childbirth;
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Provide recommendations for exercise training during pregnancy and after childbirth, for high-level regular exercisers and elite athletes; and
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Identify major gaps in the literature that limit the confidence with which recommendations can be made.