Table 1.
Subject characteristics: Control vs Postpartum.
| Variable | INITIAL (8wks Postpartum) | FOLLOW UP (26 wks Postpartum) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control (n=15) | Postpartum (n=29) | Control (n=14) | Postpartum (n=28) | |
| Age (years) | 25.5 ± 5.3 | 31.4 ± 5.2* | 25.8 ± 6.1 | 32.0 ± 5.1* |
| Weight (kg) | 63.6 ± 12.7 | 74.4 ± 13.4* | 62.7 ± 7.8 | 71.4 ± 14.0* |
| Height (cm) | 166.6 ± 7.1 | 164.1 ± 4.6 | 166.9 ± 8.4 | 164.1 ± 4.8 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.7 ± 3.8 | 27.6 ± 5.0* | 22.4 ± 1.8 | 26.9 ± 5.1* |
| Body Fat (%) | 31.0 ± 5.4 | 38.5 ± 6.9* | 31.8 ± 4.6 | 36.7 ± 8.4* |
| Thickness of right rectus abdominis muscle belly (2.5 cm above umbilicus) (cm) | 1.0 ± 0.2 | 0.8 ± 0.2* | 1.0 ± 0.1 (n=13) | 0.8 ± 0.2* |
| Thickness of right rectus abdominis muscle belly (2.5 cm below umbilicus) (cm) | 1.0 ± 0.2 | 0.8 ± 0.2* | 0.9 ± 0.1 (n=13) | 0.8 ± 0.2 |
| Average minutes/day of moderate intensity physical activity | 47.8 ± 23.4 (n=9) | 18.8 ± 18.8* (n=20) | 31.2 ± 14.0 (n=7) | 16.7 ± 10.5* (n=13) |
| Self-reported physical activity over the previous 12 months (MET·hours·week−1) | 43.0 ± 28.3 (n=14) | 22.2 ± 19.2* (n=27) | 34.0 ± 25.1 | 14.9 ± 17.3* (n=25) |
| Distance walked in 6 minutes (m) | 686.2 ± 58.7 | 640.0 ± 64.8* | 693.3 ± 58.2 | 652.7 ± 65.1 |
| Hand grip maximal strength, right hand (kg) | 33.4 ± 6.7 | 33.1 ± 5.9 | 34.2 ± 5.3 | 34.1 ± 6.5 (n=27) |
| Hand grip maximal strength, left hand (kg) | 31.4 ± 5.9 | 31.1 ± 4.9 | 30.8 ± 4.5 | 32.3 ± 5.6 (n=27) |
| Change in MVC torque at end of fatiguing exercise protocol (% MVC) | -26.2 ± 15.9 | -14.6 ± 32.4 | -30.0 ± 13.4 | -24.0 ± 18.8 |
| External Oblique EMG at beginning of fatigue task (%MVC) | 48.3 ± 33.7 | 54.2 ± 23.9 | 46.6 ± 16.4 | 50.3 ± 23.0 |
| External Oblique EMG at end of fatigue task (%MVC) | 50.2 ± 32.5 | 60.6 ± 20.8 | 56.6 ± 17.4 | 56.2 ± 23.0 |
| Rectus Femoris EMG at beginning of fatigue task (%MVC) | 12.8 ± 27.6 | 4.5 ± 2.4 | 4.7 ± 3.7 | 6.4 ± 6.0 |
| Rectus Femoris EMG at end of fatigue task (%MVC) | 12.4 ± 26.9 | 4.5 ± 2.4 | 4.8 ± 3.8 | 6.5 ± 6.0 |
*
Indicates p<0.05. kg=kilograms; cm=centimeters; m=meters; MET=metabolic equivalents; MVC=maximal voluntary contraction