Abstract
Abstract
Purpose
Spaceflight impairs physical capacity. Here we assessed the protective effect of artificial gravity (AG) on aerobic exercise capacity and muscle function during bed rest, a spaceflight analogue.
Methods
24 participants (33 ± 9 years, 175 ± 9 cm, 74 ± 10 kg, 8 women) were randomly allocated to one of three groups: continuous AG (cAG), intermittent AG (iAG) or control (CTRL). All participants were subjected to 60 days of six-degree head-down tilt bed rest, and subjects of the intervention groups completed 30 min of centrifugation per day: cAG continuously and iAG for 6 × 5 min, with an acceleration of 1g at the center of mass. Physical capacity was assessed before and after bed rest via maximal voluntary contractions, cycling spiroergometry, and countermovement jumps.
Results
AG had no significant effect on aerobic exercise capacity, flexor muscle function and isometric knee extension strength or rate of force development (RFD). However, AG mitigated the effects of bed rest on jumping power (group * time interaction of the rmANOVA p < 0.001; iAG − 25%, cAG − 26%, CTRL − 33%), plantar flexion strength (group * time p = 0.003; iAG − 35%, cAG − 31%, CTRL − 48%) and plantar flexion RFD (group * time p = 0.020; iAG − 28%, cAG − 12%, CTRL − 40%). Women showed more pronounced losses than men in jumping power (p < 0.001) and knee extension strength (p = 0.010).
Conclusion
The AG protocols were not suitable to maintain aerobic exercise capacity, probably due to the very low cardiorespiratory demand of this intervention. However, they mitigated some losses in muscle function, potentially due to the low-intensity muscle contractions during centrifugation used to avoid presyncope.
Funder
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt
European Space Agency
Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences Division
United Kingdom Space Agency
Bundesbehörden der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft
Universität Konstanz
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Physiology (medical),Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Orthopedics and Sports Medicine,General Medicine,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Physiology
Cited by
14 articles.
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