Improved Fertility After Exercise in Overweight/Obese Women (FertilEX)

Study of Pregnancy Rate After Exercise Training Prior to Assisted Fertilisation in Overweight/Obese Women

Overweight/obesity is associated with sub-fertility. The investigators will assess if regular exercise training prior to assisted fertilization will improve pregnancy rate in overweight/obese women referred to assisted fertilization. It is expected that training will be successful in increasing pregnancy rate

Obesity is associated with several diseases, as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer, this is of great concern for the public health. Also, of more immediate importance for these women; obesity is associated with increased risks of sub-fertility. The overall aim of the current project is to expand the knowledge about effective interventions to prevent the increasing prevalence of obesity-associated sub-fertility in population. One cause of the increased referral rate for in-vitro fertilization is the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity. Currently, about 700 couples are annually referred for in-vitro fertilization at St.Olav's Hospital. In this interdisciplinary trial, involving physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, gynecologists, and basic researchers, the effects of regular high intensity exercise training on fertility in sub-fertile overweight and obese women will be investigated.

The primary outcome measure is ongoing pregnancy, defined as the sonographic evidence of intrauterine gestational sac and fetal heart activity at seven weeks of gestation.

Inclusion Criteria: body mass index (weight in kg/height in cm squared) >25 accepted for assisted fertilization treatment at St.Olav's hospital Exclusion Criteria: low responders, defined as AMH <2 pmol/L or < 5 oocytes in prior in vitro fertilisation (IVF)/Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles or antral follicle count (AFC) < 5 current or previous Metformin use (a wash-out period of > four weeks)

Lundgren KM, Romundstad LB, von During V, Morkved S, Kjotrod S, Moholdt T. Exercise prior to assisted fertilization in overweight and obese women (FertilEX): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2016 Jun 1;17(1):268. doi: 10.1186/s13063-016-1398-x.

Kiel IA, Lundgren KM, Morkved S, Kjotrod SB, Salvesen O, Romundstad LB, Moholdt T. Women undergoing assisted fertilisation and high-intensity interval training: a pilot randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2018 Jul 17;4(1):e000387. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000387. eCollection 2018.