Why female athletes achieve extraordinary fetes after giving birth

A quick scroll through track records of world-famed athletes reveals some exciting and heart-warming performances of women returning from maternity.

A sample of their records shows majority of them exhibited impressive displays of form in eye-popping, history-making, and mind-exploding fashions.

Faith Kipyegon, the 2023 World Track Female Athlete of the Year, provides a textbook example of athletes who have staged brilliant shows on the tracks and marathons after giving birth, winning world championships, Olympic Games, and breaking world records.

Kipyegon, the three-time Olympic 1500m and world champion, has been in imperious form since giving birth in 2018. “After maternity, it was not easy. It needed a lot of sacrifice. Being a mother makes me work hard,” she said.

She is married to 2012 Olympic 800m bronze medallist Timothy Kitum and they have a daughter, Alyn, born in June 2018.

In 2019, she settled for silver in 1500m behind Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

She emerged from the post Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 and started dropping one second every year. That’s 3:51 in 2021, 3:50 in 2022, and became the first woman in the world to dip under 3:50 in 1500m –as she set the world record of 3:49.11 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence, Italy, in 2023.

Last year, she grabbed her third Olympic 1500m gold and a silver in 5000m before winning the lucrative Athlos meet in New York. She is preparing for the World Athletics Championships that run in Tokyo, Japan, on September 13-21.

Her excellent performances seemed to reflect largely on Vivian Cheruiyot’s spectacular shows after giving birth to her son Allan Kiprono.

Vivian’s double victory at the 2015 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, China, as a new mum, was greeted with a mixture of astonishment and disbelief.

She raced down her opponents, including Ethiopia’s Gelete Burka and Emily Infeld of USA in the 10,000m. It was a clear testimony that new mums have a stronger physical conditioning on return from maternity.

She was destined for glory at the World Championships and had to get rid of the nagging post-baby weight that many mothers struggle with. She had to shed 17kg of her weight.

“I had to endure a lot of pain in the first two months of my training, given that I had to shed a lot of weight I had gained. I was weighing 56kg after giving birth and had to cut down to 39kg. I have a passion for athletics. I had missed athletics for nine months,” Vivian said.

Then came the dramatic show at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, where Vivian beat Ethiopia’s track queen Almaz Ayana with a killer sprint to win her sole Olympic gold. She then proceeded to wear the 2018 London Marathon crown.

But Vivian, who stands out for her longevity on the tracks, does a lot of training back in her rural home.

Vivian is a giant in women’s long-distance running. Sample her calling card: 5,000m and 10,000m world champion (2011), Olympic silver and bronze medallist over the distances, and a former world cross-country junior and senior champion as well as the 2018 London Marathon winner.

Mary Keitany, who basks in an impressive four wins at the New York City Marathon, also exhibited exceptional performance on her return from maternity.

She signed off her fourth win in 2018 in 2:22. 48, the second fastest mark in the event’s history.

Keitany, a mother of two –Jared Kipchumba and Samanta –staged her comeback in 2014 but hit top form that year once again when she finished second at the London Marathon and then chalked up victory in the New York City Marathon.

After giving birth to Jared Kipchumba in 2009, she finished second in a 10km race in Bangalore in 32:09 before winning the Lille Métropole Half Marathon in 1:07:00, which was then the 2009 Half Marathon all-time best. She was selected to Kenya’s team for the World Half Marathon in Birmingham, England, in 2009, where she bagged gold.

In 2010, she won the New York City Half Marathon and broke the world record at the 2010 Berlin Marathon before winning her second New York Marathon in 2015.

Keitany won the 2017 London Marathon, setting a new world record (women-only) of 2:17.01. She improved on Britain’s Paula Radcliffe’s record by 41 seconds, which she set at the 2005 London Marathon.

She picked up athletics while in Standard Four in 1996 at Kanjulul Primary School before moving to Kisok Primary School in Baringo County and then proceeded to Hidden Talent Academy in Nairobi, where she completed Form Four in 2005.

In the same vein, fairytales on maternity comebacks seemed to have inspired Olympic 5000m silver medallist Hellen Obiri.

Obiri, a Senior Sergeant at the Kenya Air Force, took an 18-month maternity break in 2015 and gave birth to her daughter Tania through caesarean section. She resumed training after seven months, where she could shed 23kg. She won Olympic 5000m silver behind Vivian at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Ruth Chepng’etich posted a sizzling 2:09.56 at the Chicago Marathon last year after giving birth to her daughter, Sharleen Chepkemoi. The list is long, raising questions on its scientific aspects.

Dr Kipchumba Byron, a kinesiology and sports science expert from the University of Georgia, says female athletes often perform well after giving birth due to several factors related to physiological changes, mental resilience, and the recovery process.

“During pregnancy, the body undergoes significant hormonal changes, including increased levels of relaxin hormones, which can enhance flexibility. After giving birth, these changes can allow for improved range of motion, which might aid in running performance,” he says.

“They experience improved blood circulation. Pregnancy and childbirth put stress on the cardiovascular system, leading to adaptations like improved circulation and heart efficiency, which can help with endurance after recovery.”

Kipchumba was a teacher at the athletics-rich Sing’ore Girls High School in Elgeyo Marakwet and guided top athletes in Olympic champion Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenyan-naturalised American Olympic silver medallist Sally Kipyego and 2007 world 800m Janeth Jepkosgei among other top stars.

“It enhances mental toughness and focus. Pregnancy and childbirth require a lot of mental strength. Many athletes find that they develop a higher level of mental resilience and focus after childbirth, which can translate into improved athletic performance,” he says.

New mums experience increased fitness post-return to training. Kipchumba says it’s after childbirth that many female athletes return to training with a renewed sense of purpose, often working on rebuilding strength and fitness, in which the rebuilding process can lead to gains in performance.

Some women may lose weight after childbirth, especially if they are breastfeeding, which can lead to improved running efficiency, he says.

“Women undergo muscle adaptation. After giving birth, some women experience an improvement in core strength, which is crucial for maintaining proper running form. This can be a result of post-pregnancy physical therapy or intentional strengthening exercises,” Kipchumba adds.

“It’s important to note that these changes vary from athlete to athlete, and not all women experience the same physical benefits in post-childbirth. But many female athletes who return to running after pregnancy report significant improvements in their performance.”