Designing methods for musculoskeletal conditioning in weightlessness

There is an immediate need to find methods to combat the skeletal muscle deconditioning that occurs in microgravity. Important features to be considered for any ergometer or exercise method to be used as a countermeasure against musculoskeletal deconditioning in space include heavy muscular loading...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Physiologist 1992-02, Vol.35 (1 Suppl), p.S96-S98
Main Authors: Berg, H E, Tesch, P A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Humans
Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena
Physical Education and Training
Space life sciences
Weightlessness - adverse effects
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:There is an immediate need to find methods to combat the skeletal muscle deconditioning that occurs in microgravity. Important features to be considered for any ergometer or exercise method to be used as a countermeasure against musculoskeletal deconditioning in space include heavy muscular loading of the postural muscles of the lower limbs and that eccentric and concentric muscle activations can be performed. Those are major requirements to produce optimal gains in strength and muscle mass at 1-g and probably to counteract muscle atrophy and strength loss in microgravity. Resistance exercise with a strength-ergometer, using the fly-wheel principle was carried out at a low oxygen cost and required no external power supply. We have developed a resistance training system employing this ergometer so that force and power production easily can be monitored and calibrated. It is suggested that the features of this ergometer meet the presented requirements for use during long-term space missions.
ISSN:0031-9376
1522-1202