Pregnancy increases strength and could help sports stars to acheive

The tennis star joins the ranks of a number of other sportswomen whose physical prowess seems to have been at its peak in the post pregnancy period – Ingrid Kristiansen, for example, won the Houston Marathon a mere four months after giving birth, while Paula Radcliffe raced to victory in the New York Marathon just ten months after doing the same.
Although most of the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy are geared primarily towards meeting the needs of the developing baby, they can also have a significant impact on the mother’s own physical capacities – something researchers have branded as the ‘training effect’.
While we’re all familiar with the amplified body mass, the resulting stretch marks and the crushing fatigue that pregnancy can bring, few are aware of the physiological changes that can propel already successful athletes to even greater heights. Carrying around the equivalent of up to seven bags of potatoes throughout pregnancy undoubtedly puts an expectant mother through her paces – and this nine month daily workout can result in a staggering fifty per cent increase in the volume of blood within the circulatory system, as well as an increase of around thirty per cent in the amount of blood pumped out of the heart with each beat.
On top of all this, pregnancy also appears to have a marked impact on breathing function, flexibility and, unsurprisingly, strength.
Essentially, the body of any new mum is ‘supercharged’ after giving birth. So when you ‘supercharge’ the body of a woman who also happens to be a professional athlete - and put it through rigorous physical training that includes mothering a newborn – it seems the sky’s the limit for athletic potential.