IOC drives discussions on pregnancy and elite athletes
Experts from around the world convened for an unprecedented three-day meeting at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters earlier this week to discuss research and recommendations on exercise during pregnancy and after childbirth for elite athletes.
Sixteen leading experts joined representatives from the IOC Medical & Scientific Commission in Lausanne, Switzerland, to consolidate for the first time their respective expertise and knowledge on these topics, review the existing data available and identify future areas of research.
The health and well-being of athletes is a key priority for the IOC and its Medical and Scientific Commission. From busting myths to defining best practices and tackling frequently asked questions on the influence and management of pregnancy for an elite athlete, the objective of this IOC initiative is to produce comprehensive guidelines and recommendations on exercise during pregnancy and postpartum.
With the continuous increase in the number of female elite athletes, and more and more pregnant women in elite sport, the IOC has recognised that there is a need to better understand pregnancy and childbirth in elite athletes, to ensure that sportswomen can make informed choices for their futures and those of their children.
The consensus statement will be published next spring in the British Journal of Sports Medicine and on www.olympic.org.