Mothers going the distance: A brief review of postpartum return to elite endurance sport

The purpose of this review was to summarize existing information and identify critical research gaps around pregnancy and the postpartum period in elite endurance athletes. Current literature is primarily exploratory and lacks high-level evidence. We anticipate that continued research will help in identifying the best support mechanisms to offset setbacks associated with pregnancy and postpartum recovery in elite female athletes.
© Copyright 2026 Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Bibliographic Details
Subjects:
Notations:endurance sports
Published in:Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews
Language:English
Published: 2026
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1249/JES.0000000000000374
Volume:54
Issue:1
Pages:57-64
Document types:article
Level:advanced