Nov. 23, 2009 Are you a female athlete -- or just someone who
likes challenging workouts -- who also wants to get pregnant? It
may make sense to ease off a bit as you try to get pregnant. New
research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
(NTNU) shows that the body may not have enough energy to support
both hard workouts and getting pregnant. Roughly seven per cent
of all Norwegian women are believed to have infertility
problems, which means that they are unable to become pregnant
during the first year of trying -- even if they might later
become pregnant. Infertility can have many causes, both medical
and lifestyle-related. Known risk factors include smoking,
stress, and alcohol. Being extremely under- or overweight can
also play a role. It is known, however, that elite sports women
have more fertility problems than other women. But does extreme
physical activity play a role in fertility among other women as
well? NTNU researchers examined precisely this question in a
study involving nearly