How physically active mothers who breastfeed may protect their babies against obesity and diabetes
- A researcher describes the important role for a baby’s health of a hormone found in the breast milk of mothers who took part in high intensity interval training
- Two Hong Kong mothers who exercised after giving birth and breastfed their babies talk about the physical and mental benefits
Breastfeeding mothers have long been given unproven excuses not to exercise, among them the suggestion it could reduce their milk supply or make the milk turn sour.
There has been little scientific research on how exercise affects breast milk or its production, however.
To debunk myths with clinical evidence, researcher Trine Moholdt of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology did a study to learn more about breast milk from mums who exercised.
And the results, published in Frontiers in Nutrition in December, were fascinating.
Mothers who took part in high intensity interval training (HIIT) had higher levels of the hormone adiponectin in their breast milk after exercise. This hormone is particularly important for regulating glucose levels and fat metabolism.
