Analyses adjusted for age, family history of diabetes and dietary factors showed that both total and vigorous activity were significantly related to a lower risk of gestational diabetes, the team reported at the American Diabetes Association"s annual meeting in San Diego. “Compared with women who were sedentary both at an early age and before the index pregnancy, those who frequently engaged in vigorous activity in both periods had a 26% lower risk of gestational diabetes,” Zhang and colleagues found. 研究人员报道，在怀孕前进行规律、适当运动量的体育活动能够减少怀孕相关糖尿病（亦称妊娠糖尿病）的发生发展。 由Harvard School of Public Health的Dr. Cuilin Zhang领导的波士顿研究小组，在正在进行的Nurses" Health Study II研究中，对怀孕前进行体育活动的数量、类型、强度与妊娠糖尿病的关系进行了调查。进入研究的妇女约20，000例，在1990至1998年之间至少生产过一次，其中被诊断为妊娠糖尿病的有1192名。 经校正年龄、糖尿病家族史、饮食因素后分析表明，体育活动的数量和强度与较低的妊娠糖尿病间显著相关。张及其同事发现，“与年轻时和怀孕前期经常静坐的妇女相比，上述两个时期经常运动的妇女发生妊娠糖尿病的风险低26%”。不经常参加体育运动的妇女，加快走动的步幅和更多上台阶的锻炼也可以减少妊娠糖尿病的发生风险。 总之，研究小组总结到“常规进行体育锻炼可以减低发生妊娠糖尿病的风险”。