P893 - PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS IN OVERWEIGHT AND UNDERWEIGHT WOMEN UNDERGOING INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION DURING A NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION PROGRAM.

P893

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS IN OVERWEIGHT AND UNDERWEIGHT WOMEN UNDERGOING INTRACYTOPLASMIC SPERM INJECTION DURING A NUTRITIONAL INTERVENTION PROGRAM.

O. Leemans^1,*, Z. Rosseel^1,2,3, P.-J. Cortoons^1,2, L. Leemans^1,3, C. Blockeel^4,5, E. De Waele^1,3

¹Vitality Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, ²Pharmacy, ³Clinical Nutrition , Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, ⁴Genetics, Reproduction and Development Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, ⁵Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Brussels IVF, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

Rationale: Physical activity (PA) plays a key role in lifestyle interventions aimed at optimizing body composition and enhancing reproductive outcomes. This study evaluates baseline PA levels and reported barriers in overweight and underweight women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), prior to enrollment in a nutritional intervention targeting fat mass optimization.

Methods: As part of the FerMet study (B.U.N. nr. 1432022000039), this retrospective single-center subcohort study included women with 18.5 ≥ BMI ≥25 kg/m² undergoing ICSI between March 2021 and October 2024. Self-reported habitual PA was categorized using the Compendium of Physical Activity. Reported barriers were also assessed.

Results: A total of 164 women (median age 36 [32–39]) were included, 93% cassified as overweight (BMI 34 [32–35] kg/m²). At baseline, 39% of overweight women (n=152) reported no PA. Barriers were medical issues (20%), work constraints (15%), and lack of energy or burnout (15%). Another 10% were seeking suitable PA. Among those active, walking was most frequent (70%, median 2.3 h/week), followed by conditioning exercises (34%). 27% combined ≥2 PAs. Weighted average MET-score was 4.46. In the underweight group (n=12), 67% engaged in regular PA. Conditioning exercises were most popular (50%), followed by walking and running (each 17%); 42% combined ≥2 PAs. Weighted average MET-score was 5.12.

Conclusion: Over one-third of overweight women entering a fertility-focused lifestyle program were physically inactive, with medical, occupational, and motivational factors as main barriers. Underweight women were more physically active, with higher-intensity PA and greater variety. These results underscore the need for tailored, BMI-sensitive PA strategies prior to ART. Further studies should explore whether such interventions enhance reproductive outcomes.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared