Trip to Mars Will Challenge Bones, Muscles: Former Astronaut calls for More NASA Research on Exercise in Space | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference
14 April 2006
Trip to Mars Will Challenge Bones, Muscles: Former Astronaut calls for More NASA Research on Exercise in Space | SpaceRef - Your Space ReferenceDuring a trip to Mars—lasting between 13 and 30 months—unchecked bone loss could make an astronaut's skeleton "the equivalent of a 100-year-old person," Pawelczyk warned. Bones weakened to such an extent would be highly susceptible to fractures, putting space travelers' health and the mission itself at risk.
In addition to bone loss, those planning for extended spaceflight are concerned about exercise capacity (cardiorespiratory fitness) and muscle strength. According to Pawelczyk, "With a trip to Mars, a third of exercise capacity will be lost, and about the same amount of muscle strength—that is, barring an intervention."
this is an excellent article about exercise in space, and whether or not it will help slow/stop bone density loss and muscle atrophy. -waves- i'm a part of this! it's interesting to see something that you're doing become relevant in everyday news.
article from the American College of Sports Medicine via spaceref
