Tennis helps with body changes during pregnancy

By ROBIN BATEMAN - sports@macon.com.

During the nine-month pregnancy, not only is baby developing and growing, but the mother’s body is making adjustments to meet the needs of the baby. Once such change is the impact pregnancy has on bone mineral loss.

Fetal calcium requirements tax the calcium supply for the mother. Not only does baby demand calcium, but her own skeletal structure is sending signals for more to offset depletion.

Bone is stimulated by compression force. A recent study conducted by the University of Cincinnati and Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati suggests that women who play tennis may reduce the “calcium compromise” pregnancy brings as opposed to non-playing tennis women.

Tennis is a weight-bearing sport filled with starts and stops, sprinting, heel-striking on quick stops and stroke execution putting strain on the torso and spine. All this movement makes for happy bones. During the pilot study, researchers measured the bone mineral density (BMD) in 18 women, eight of whom played recreational tennis and ten who remained sedentary.

Desiree Erthal, a recreational player who began playing tennis in 1998, became pregnant six years ago. Erthal continued playing through the first five months of her pregnancy.

“Continuing to play tennis,” Erthal said, “made me feel better about my changing body.”

In addition, Erthal is a firm believer that exercise during pregnancy helps for an easier delivery, which she had when she gave birth with her now 5-year-old daughter Tiffany.

Erthal, who played basketball in high school and participated in athletic activities, said she chose tennis because you can play throughout your entire life. Although not many women play soccer and basketball as they age, tennis is different. Erthal would have kept playing during her pregnancy, but she became apprehensive of injury. Erthal believes if she were in her early 20s, and her third trimester wasn’t during the winter months, she might have kept playing until she gave birth.

“I would have continued to play,” Erthal said, “but I was nervous.”