Positions

Professor, Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Performance

Contact Info

mayl@ecu.edu

Publications in VIVO

Co-author Network

Co-investigator Network

Linda May

member of

European College of Sports Science (ECSS) 2023
International Society of Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) 2023
American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA) 2005 - 2021
American Physiological Society (APS) 2003 - 2021
American Association of Anatomists (AAA) 2001 - 2021
PIMPAC (Pitt Infant Mortality Prevention Advisory Council) of Pitt County Health Department 2016

selected publications

article
- Effect ofin uteroMetformin Exposure in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus on Infant Mesenchymal Stem Cell Metabolism. AJP-Endo & Metab. 2025
- Exercise During Pregnancy FITT-V: Birth Outcomes in Women at Risk of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Global Reports. 2025
- Impact of Physiological Media and the Nutrient Landscape on Acute Myeloid Leukemia Mitochondria and Cell Proliferation. 2025
- Maternal resistance exercise increases infant energy expenditure. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. 328. 2025
- The Influence of Exercise and BMI on Food Choices during Pregnancy. Advanced Exercise and Health Science. 2024
- Effects of maternal exercise on infant mesenchymal stem cell mitochondrial function, insulin action, and body composition in early infancy. Physiological Reports. 2024
- Exercise During Pregnancy FITT-V: Influence on Birth Outcomes. Birth Defects Research. 2024
- Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity in Pregnancy and Postpartum Among Iranian Women: A Scoping Review. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland). 12. 2024
- Effects of maternal exercise modes on infant cord blood proteome. bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology. 2024
- Effects of maternal exercise on infant mesenchymal stem cell mitochondrial function, insulin action, and body composition in early infancy. Physiological Reports. 2024
- Effects of maternal exercise on infant mesenchymal stem cell mitochondrial function, insulin action, and body composition in infancy. Physiological Reports. 12. 2024
- Exercise During Pregnancy FITT-V: Influence on Preterm Birth Outcomes. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 2024
- Exercise FITT-V during pregnancy: Association with birth outcomes. Birth Defects Research. 116. 2024
- Exercise during pregnancy Dose: Influence on preterm birth outcomes. European journal of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology. 300:190-195. 2024
- Exercise during pregnancy modulates infant cellular and whole-body adiposity. Physiological Reports. 12. 2024
- Influence of Exercise and BMI on Food Choices During Pregnancy. Advanced Exercise and Health Science (AEHS). 2024
- Influence of physical activity during pregnancy on neonatal complications. Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Personalized Medicine. 2024
- Maternal exercise increases infant resting energy expenditure: preliminary results. International journal of obesity (2005). 48:1347-1350. 2024
- Paternal obesity decreases infant MSC mitochondrial functional capacity. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. 327. 2024
- Methods for analyzing infant heart rate variability. Birth Defects Research. 115:998-1006. 2023
- Effects of Maternal Exercise mode on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Offspring Stem Cells. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 2023
- Exercise during pregnancy: Baby steps for improved maternal/fetal health. ACSM Health and Fitness Journal. 2023
- Influence of Prenatal Exercise Type on Fetal Echocardiographic Measures. JCCI. 2023
- A narrative review of exercise dose during pregnancy. Birth Defects Research. 115:1581-1597. 2023
- Differences in substrate metabolism between African American and Caucasian infants: evidence from mesenchymal stem cells. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985). 134:1312-1320. 2023
- Effects of Maternal Exercise Modes on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Offspring Stem Cells. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 2023
- Effects of weight loss and weight loss maintenance on cardiac autonomic function in obesity: a randomized controlled trial. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme. 48:678-691. 2023
- Greater reliance on glycolysis is associated with lower mitochondrial substrate oxidation and insulin sensitivity in infant myogenic MSCs. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism. 325. 2023
- Influence of Physical Activity during Pregnancy on Neonatal Complications: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Personalized Medicine. 14. 2023
- Influence of Supervised Maternal Aerobic Exercise during Pregnancy on 1-Month-Old Neonatal Cardiac Function and Outflow: A Pilot Study. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 55:1977-1984. 2023
- Methods for analyzing infant heart rate variability: A preliminary study. Birth Defects Research. 115:998-1006. 2023
- Myogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cell insulin sensitivity is associated with infant adiposity at 1 and 6months of age. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 31:2349-2358. 2023
- Self-Reported Intake and Circulating EPA and DHA Concentrations in US Pregnant Women. Nutrients. 15. 2023
- A Narrative Review of The Individual Benefits of Maternal Exercise or PUFA Supplementation During Pregnancy: Are we missing something?. Acta Scientific Women's Health. 2022
- Chapter: Using Resistance Training in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus to Improve Glucose Regulation. IntechOpen. 2022
- Using Resistance Training in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus to Improve Glucose Regulation. IntechOpen. 2022
- A Narrative Review of The Individual Benefits of Maternal Exercise or PUFA Supplementation During Pregnancy: Are we missing something?. Acta Scientific Women's Health. 2022
- Influence of Maternal Exercise on Offspring Metabolic Measures. IntechOpen. 2022
- Physical fitness assessment during pregnancy. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal. Themed issue. 2022
- Physical Fitness Assessment During Pregnancy. ACSM FIT. Themed issue. 2022
- The Role of Resistance Training as a Countermeasure in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. Sports Medicine Open Access. 2022
- Assessment of physical fitness during pregnancy: validity and reliability of fitness tests, and relationship with maternal and neonatal health - a systematic review. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine. 8. 2022
- Development of the Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy: Breaking down barriers to prenatal exercise. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme. 2022
- Infant Mesenchymal Stem Cell Insulin Action Is Associated With Maternal Plasma Free Fatty Acids, Independent of Obesity Status: The Healthy Start Study. Diabetes. 71:1649-1659. 2022
- Influence of Maternal Exercise on Glucose and Lipid Metabolism in Offspring Stem Cells: ENHANCED by Mom. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism. 107. 2022
- Influence of exercise type on maternal blood pressure adaptation throughout pregnancy. AJOG global reports. 2. 2022
- Influence of prenatal exercise on the relationship between maternal overweight and obesity and select delivery outcomes. Scientific Reports. 12. 2022
- Intrinsic adaptations in OXPHOS power output and reduced tumorigenicity characterize doxorubicin resistant ovarian cancer cells. Biochimica et biophysica acta. Bioenergetics. 1863. 2022
- Maternal Aerobic Exercise, but Not Blood Docosahexaenoic Acid and Eicosapentaenoic Acid Concentrations, during Pregnancy Influence Infant Body Composition. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 19. 2022
- Physical Fitness Assessment During Pregnancy. ACSM FIT. 2022
- Resistance Training as a Countermeasure in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Review of Current Literature and Future Directions. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). 52:2871-2888. 2022
- The Influence of Maternal Aerobic Exercise, Blood DHA and EPA Concentrations on Maternal Lipid Profiles.. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022
- In-Person Prenatal Exercise during COVID-19 Pandemic Modulates Late Pregnancy Blood Pressure. Medical Research Archives. 2021
- Influence of Light Intensity Exercise during Pregnancy on Fetal Echocardiographic and Maternal Cardiovascular Measures. Journal of Clinical Cardiology and Cardiovascular Interventions. 2021
- Measuring mitochondrial electron transfer complexes in previously frozen cardiac tissue from the offspring of sow: A model to assess exercise induced mitochondrial bioenergetics changes. bioRXiv. 2021
- The Influence of Diet, Exercise, and Education Level During Pregnancy on Child Cavities and Tooth Eruption. Science Repository. 2021
- Influence of Light Intensity exercise During Pregnancy on Fetal Echocardiographic and Maternal Cardiovascular Measures. Journal of Clinical Cardiology and Cardiovascular Interventions. 4. 2021
- Influence of exercise type on maternal blood pressure adaptation throughout pregnancy.. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2021
- Leisure-Time Physical Activity before and during Pregnancy Is Associated with Improved Insulin Resistance in Late Pregnancy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18. 2021
- Maternal Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity before and during Pregnancy and Maternal Glucose Tolerance: Does Timing Matter?. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 53:2520-2527. 2021
- Measuring Mitochondrial Electron Transfer Complexes in Previously Frozen Cardiac Tissue from the Offspring of Sow: A Model to Assess Exercise-Induced Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Changes. Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE. 2021
- Moderate intensity aerobic exercise during pregnancy and 1-month infant Morphometry. Birth Defects Research. 113:238-247. 2021
- The Influence of Exercise During Pregnancy on Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities and Birth Outcomes. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2021
- The effects of aerobic exercise on markers of maternal metabolism during pregnancy. Birth Defects Research. 113:227-237. 2021
- The impact of advanced maternal age on pregnancy and offspring health: A mechanistic role for placental angiogenic growth mediators. Placenta. 106:15-21. 2021
- Association of objectively measured physical fitness during pregnancy with maternal and neonatal outcomes. The GESTAFIT Project. PLOS ONE. 15. 2020
- Influence of Prenatal Aerobic Exercise on Fetal Morphometry. Maternal and Child Health Journal. 2020
- Influence of maternal aerobic exercise during pregnancy on fetal cardiac function and outflow. American journal of obstetrics & gynecology MFM. 2. 2020
- Influence of maternal aerobic exercise on fetal heart function: A randomized controlled trial. AJOG-MFM. 2020
- Screening for Opioid and Stimulant Exposure in utero via Targeted and Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis of Umbilical Cords. Therapeutic drug monitoring. 2020
- The Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Markers of Maternal Metabolism During Pregnancy. Birth Defects Research. 2020
- The effects of moderate intensity aerobic exercise during pregnancy on one-month infant morphometry. Birth Defects Journal. 2020
- Association of objectively measured physical fitness during pregnancy with maternal and neonatal birth outcomes. The GESTAFIT Project. PLOS ONE. 2019
- Effects of Aerobic Exercise during Pregnancy on 1-Month Infant Neuromotor Skills. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 51:1671-1676. 2019
- Influence of Maternal Physical Exercise on Fetal and Maternal Heart Rate Responses. German Journal of Sports & Exercise Review. 2019
- Influence of aerobic exercise on maternal lipid levels and offspring morphometrics. International journal of obesity (2005). 43:594-602. 2019
- Influence of maternal exercise on fetal heart response during labor and delivery. Health science reports. 1. 2018
- Maternal cardioautonomic responses during and following exercise throughout pregnancy. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme. 44:263-270. 2018
- Adaptation of Maternal-Fetal Physiology to Exercise in Pregnancy: The Basis of Guidelines for Physical Activity in Pregnancy. Clinical medicine insights. Women's health. 10:1179562-17693224. 2017
- Effects of Exercise During Pregnancy on Maternal Heart Rate andHeart Rate Variability. PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitation. 8:611-7. 2016
- Fetal and maternal cardiac responses to physical activity and exercise during pregnancy. Early Human Development. 94:49-52. 2016
- Cardiac Physiology in Pregnancy. Comprehensive Physiology. 2015
- Assessing physical fitness during pregnancy: validity and reliability of fitness tests, and relationship with maternal and neonatal health-related outcomes. A systematic review. medRxiv.
chapter
- Exercise Prescription for Healthy Populations with Special Considerations. Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 2025
- <span style="font-size:12pt;">Influence of Maternal Exercise on Offspring Metabolic Measures</span><span style="font-size:medium;"></span> 2022
report
- Spanish Clinical Practice Guidelines for Physical Activity during Pregnancy 2023

presentations

presentation

principal investigator on

Effect of exercise modality during pregnancy on childhood obesity risk awarded by DHHS - National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2022 - 2026
Using Technology for Early Detection of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes from Maternal Obesity: Improving Outcomes for the Next Generation awarded by Brody Brothers award 2021 - 2022
Influence of maternal exercise on Infant skeletal muscle and metabolomics awarded by AHA - American Heart Association 2019 - 2021
Effect of exercise modality during pregnancy on childhood obesity risk awarded by NIH NIDDK 2021
Developing Participatory-Designed Tools to Improve Health Behaviors among Black Pregnant and Postpartum Women in Rural Communities awarded by ECU- DIRS 2021
Enhanced awarded by American Heart Association (AHA) 2015 - 2018
ENHANCED by Mom awarded by PRI-American Heart Association 2014
Faculty ReAssignment Grant awarded by ECU- Internal 2013

co-principal investigator on

Birth and Bloom: Pitt County Pregnancy Support Village awarded by NC- Blue Cross Blue Shield 2024 - 2025
Using Technology for Early Detection of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes from Maternal Obesity: improving outcomes for the next generation awarded by Brody Brothers' Foundation 2022
Prenatal Oral Health Program (pOHP) at ECU awarded by Schweitzer Fellowship Award 2014
EOSA (MARCH in NC project) awarded by EOSA of ECU 2013

investigator on

Birth and Bloom: Pitt County Pregnancy Support Village 2 awarded by BCBSNC - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina 2025
Effect of Maternal Exercise in Women with Obesity on Offspring Mesenchymal Stem Cell Metabolism awarded by DHHS - National Institutes of Health (NIH) 2023 - 2025
Overcoming early childhood caries disease burden through the words of mothers (WOM project) awarded by DHHS - NIH/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) 2023 - 2025
Overcoming early childhood caries disease burden through the words of mothers (WOM project). awarded by NIH R03 2022 - 2024

professional service activities

Co-Chair, ECSS- Special Interest Group - Physical Activity in Pregnancy and Postpartum Co-Chair, ECSS- Special Interest Group - Physical Activity in Pregnancy and
Postpartum 2023
Masters -Exercise Physiology Selection committee We meet to vet candidates for the MS-Kinesiology in Exercise Physiology Concentration 2022
AXIUM committee Axium Committee (ECU-SoDM) 2021
QA/QI for SoDM QA/QI Committee (ECU-SoDM) 2021
COVID COVID Research Startup Working Group (ECU) 2019 - 2021
Elected President of the committee President, ECU Chapter of OKU 2019 - 2020
Budget group Budget Advisory Group (ECU-SoDM) 2020
Clinical Trials office Clinical Trials Website Committee (ECU) 2020
Leadership Development Academy Selection Committee Leadership Development Academy (LDA)- Selection Committee 2020
Elected Chair of the committee Chair, Personnel Committee at ECU-SoDM 2018 - 2019
Chair, ACSM- Special Interest Group - Pregnancy and Postpartum Chair, ACSM- Special Interest Group - Pregnancy and Postpartum 2018
Co-director / Founder at ECU-SoDM Co-Director at ECU, Prenatal Oral Health Program (pOHP) at ECU and UNC-CH 2018
Graduate Faculty committee Graduate Faculty Committee (ECU-SoDM) 2018
International Group of Researchers - Exercise and Pregnancy Spanish International Working group for Exercise During Pregnancy 2018
Update Screening Tools for HCPs and Pregnant Women CSEP Get Active Questionnaire for Pregnancy Working Group (Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, CSEP) 2018
Elected to the Committee Promotions Committee (ECU-SoDM) 2018
Elected Co-Chair of the committee Vice-Chair, AHA Oversight Advisory Committee (OAC) for the Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN)- Women's Network 2018
Research Committee for SoDM Research and Scholarship Committee (ECU-SoDM) 2017
Department of OB/Gyn - BSOM / Vidant OB/GYN Research Committee (ECU) 2017
AHA Strategic Research Networks Oversight Advisory Committee for the AHA Go Red For Women Strategic Research
Network 2016
Pitt County Health Department Committee Pitt Infant Mortality Prevention Advisory Council (Pitt County Health Department) 2016
AHA Strategic F. Research Network Oversight Advisory Committee for the AHA Go Red For Women Strategic Research
Network 2015
Pitt Infant Mortality Prevention Advisory Council (Pitt County Health Department) Pitt Infant Mortality Prevention Advisory Council (Pitt County Health Department) 2015
Pregnancy and Infancy Research Collaborative, ECU 2015

credentials

First Aid/CPR

awards and honors

Trendsetter in Research Award, conferred by ECU, 2024
Health Sciences Author Award, conferred by ECU, 2022
2022 University Scholar for Research and Scholarship, conferred by East Carolina University, 2021
ECU Outstanding Faculty Recognition, conferred by East Carolina University, 2020
Leadership Development Academy cohort, conferred by ECU, 2019
Spanish International Network for Pregnancy and Physical Activity, conferred by Spanish International Network, 2019
2017 University Scholar for Research and Scholarship, conferred by ECU, 2016

preferred title

Associate Professor, Tenured, Dept. of Kinesiology; Adjunct, Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology

located in facility

371A Ward Sports Medicine Building