Maternal cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with metabolic hormone concentrations in human milk.

Authors

Emily Rose Ashby, Maëliss Cynthia Chloé Lemoine, Guro F Giskeødegård, Trine Moholdt

Published in

Npj exercise medicine and health. Volume 1. Issue 1. Pages 8. Epub Sep 29, 2026.

Abstract

The composition of human milk reflects maternal cardiometabolic health, of which cardiorespiratory fitness is a key determinant. Yet, the influence of maternal fitness on milk-borne hormones remains largely unexplored. In this cross-sectional study, we measured peak oxygen uptake during a maximal exercise test in 149 lactating participants and quantified human milk adiponectin and insulin concentrations using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Higher maternal cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with lower concentrations of milk adiponectin after adjustment for body composition and weeks since delivery (β -0.02, 95% CI -0.04 to -0.001). Milk insulin concentrations were inversely associated with fitness after adjustment for body mass index (β -0.02, 95% CI -0.04 to -0.001). This work identifies maternal cardiorespiratory fitness as a previously unrecognised factor associated with human milk hormone concentrations, providing a potential pathway linking maternal physiology with early-life metabolic development.

PMID:
42818646
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Oct 2026.

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