Cycle Study testing and training co-ordinator MJ Ong, from Belmont, needs 100 candidates to take part in a nine stage program on an exercise bike during weeks 14 to 28 of pregnancy.
Gestational diabetes is a glucose intolerance that first occurs during pregnancy and women with a history of the disorder have a more than 50 per cent chance of it recurring in the next pregnancy.
Researchers deliver an exercise bike to women during the 14th week of a secondary pregnancy and visit three times a week to help participants adjust and maintain the program.
Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE
Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
READ NOW‘Because it is a clinical trial, we won’t be able to access the data until after but we do know that the women who take part in the study feel great,’ Ms Ong said.
‘They get a lot of comments from family and friends about how good they look.’
Ms Ong said the program did not push women further than they could go and it started off easy, beginning with a 20 minute cycle.
‘You need to be aware of your body because some days of your pregnancy you feel different and we adjust accordingly,’ she said.
‘I can empathise with women when they’re having a bad day ” they physically can’t do it because the tiredness takes over.’
Women over the age of 18 who are less than 14 weeks pregnant or planning to conceive and it is not their first pregnancy interested in taking part in the study can contact the Cycle Study midwives on cyclestudy@uwa.edu.au or 9340 1705.