4. Discussion
Fetal programming during pregnancy can generate a healthy or poor
environment for the offspring (Deodati et al., 2020). Maternal obesity
and gestational diabetes, for example, have been shown to provoke
long-term changes in the mechanisms that regulate energy balance in
offspring. The increase in childhood obesity and diabetes in children is
often attributed to an increase in calorie-dense diets, reduced levels
of physical activity and exercise frequency by the mother. However, it
is believed that early dietary changes, both in mothers and children,
significantly contribute to alleviate or assist in the treatment of
these pathologies (Frias and
Grove, 2012). In this context, the current study evaluated the effects
of maternal chronic consumption of fructose (20%) during pregnancy and
early-life on the genome and metabolism of the mothers and their
offspring, and assessed the modulating effect of interventions with
voluntary physical exercise.