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Resistance exercise countermeasures for space flight: implications of training specificity.

While resistance exercise should be a logical choice for prevention of strength loss during unloading, the principle of training specificity cannot be overlooked. Our purpose was to explore training specificity in describing the effect of our constant load exercise countermeasure on isokinetic strength performance. Twelve healthy men (mean +/- SD: 28.0 +/- 5.2 years, 179.4 +/- 3.9 cm, 77.5 +/- 13.6 kg) were randomly assigned to no exercise or resistance exercise (REX) during 14 days of bed rest. REX performed five sets of leg press exercise to volitional fatigue (6-10 repetitions) every other day. Unilateral isokinetic concentric-eccentric knee extension testing performed before and on day 15 prior to reambulation included torque-velocity and power-velocity relationships at four velocities (0.52, 1.75, 2.97, and 4.19 rad s-1), torque-position relationship, and contractile work capacity (10 repetitions at 1.05 rad s-1). Two (group) x 2 (time) ANOVA revealed no group x time interactions; thus, groups were combined. Across velocities, angle-specific torque fell 18% and average power fell 20% (p < 0.05). No velocity x time or mode (concentric/eccentric) x time interactions were noted. Torque x position decreased on average 24% (p < 0.05). Total contractile work dropped 27% (p < 0.05). Results indicate bed rest induces rapid and marked reductions in strength and our constant load resistance training protocol did not prevent isokinetic strength losses. Differences between closed-chain training and open-chain testing may explain the lack of protection.

Adult↗

Rhesus leg muscle EMG activity during a foot pedal pressing task on Bion 11.

Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were trained to perform a foot lever pressing task for a food reward. EMG activity was recorded from selected lower limb muscles of 2 animals before, during, and after a 14-day spaceflight and from 3 animals during a ground-based simulation of the flight. Integrated EMG activity was calculated for each muscle during the 20-min test. Comparisons were made between data recorded before any experimental manipulations and during flight or flight simulation. Spaceflight reduced soleus (Sol) activity to 25% of preflight levels, whereas it was reduced to 50% of control in the flight simulation. During flight, medial gastrocnemius (MG) activity was reduced to 25% of preflight activity, whereas the simulation group showed normal activity levels throughout all tests. The change in MG activity was apparent in the first inflight recording, suggesting that some effect of microgravity on MG activity was immediate.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Psychophysiological monitoring under conditions of real and simulated microgravity.

Dynamics of indices characterizing the process of adaptation of operators to complicated conditions of vital activity was studied with psychophysiological monitoring. This technique is based on the complex analysis of subjective and objective estimations of the current psychoemotional state and physiological and biochemical indices. We analyzed the data obtained during the examination of three healthy volunteers, who participated in the HUBES experiment (135-day isolation in the ground-based model of the orbital station "Mir"), and during a biorhythmological study conducted by six Russian cosmonauts of the main expeditions on the station "Mir." It was shown that psychophysiological monitoring is an informative method for studying different parameters of the operator's state and regulatory processes, the dynamics of biological rhythms, and individual characteristics of adaptation. By means of the analysis of a population of the variation in the characteristics of the parameters under study the experimental period of isolation was divided into three stages. The first and third stages were characterized by a relatively high variability, which was minimized at the second stage. The phasic character of the adaptation processes with a phase duration of about 60 days was revealed and a correlation was shown between the dynamics of parameters obtained by means of psychophysiological monitoring and specific features of the system regulation in different phases of the space flight and its simulation. It is suggested that the phases of the minimal variability of the studied characteristics are related to the periods of the minimal reliability of an operator's work. [Translated from Fiziologiya Cheloveka, vol. 25, no. 5, 1999 Sep-Oct, p. 86-91]

Adaptation, Physiological↗

[Changes of cardiac function during 21 d head-down tilt bed rest and the effect of lower body negative pressure in the last week].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the change of cardiac function during 21 d head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest and the effect of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) in the last week in human. METHOD: 12 healthy male served as subjects which were randomly divided into control and LBNP groups, with 6 in each group. All of them were exposed to -6 degrees HDT for 21 d. The LBNP group received -4.0 kPa LBNP training 1 h/d in the last week of the test. The cardiac pump function and cardiac systole function were measured before, during and after HDT. RESULT: Cardiac output, cardiac index and stroke volume decreased significantly, whereas total peripheral resistance, pre-ejection period (PEP), isovolumetric contraction time/left ventricular ejection time (LVET) and PEP/LVET increased significantly during HDT in both control and LBNP groups, compared to pre-HDT values, and they returned to normal level on day 2 post HDT. PEP and PEP/LVET in LBNP group were significantly higher than those in control group on day 21 of HDT and day 2 post HDT. CONCLUSION: The reduction of cardiac pump function and cardiac systole function induced by 21 d HDT could not be prevented by LBNP training in the last week of 21 d HDT.

Adolescent↗

[Effect of -6 degrees head-down-bed-rest on human cellular immune function].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of -6 degrees head-down bed-rest on proliferation of lymphocyte and production of certain cytokines. METHODS: 6 healthy young men served as the subjects. Peripheral blood lymphocyte was assayed 1d prior to and on the 3rd day and 6th day of bed rest. RESULTS: The production of IFN-alpha on the 3rd day was markedly decreased (P < 0.05), but killing activity of NK was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05), production of IFN-gamma and expression of IL-2 receptor were all slightly reduced. Both production of IFN-alpha and killing activity of NK resumed to the control level on the 6th day, production of IFN-r and CD25 were significantly lowered (P < 0.05) on the 6th day, a lymphocyte proliferation and production of IL-2 were gradually decreased with time, but production of IL-6 was gradually increased. CONCLUSION: -6 degrees head-down bed-rested has certain effect on cellular immune function in man.

Adult↗

[Changes of cerebral blood flow during 21 d head-down tilt bed rest and the effect of lower body negative pressure during the last week].

Objective. To investigate the changes of cerebral blood flow (CBF) during 21 d head-down tilt (HDT) bed rest and the effect of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) in the last week. Method. Twelve healthy male subjects were randomly divided into control and LBNP groups, with 6 in each group. All of them were exposed to -6 degrees HDT for 21 d. The LBNP group received -4.0 kPa LBNP training 1 h/d in the last week of HDT while the control group did not. CBF and cerebral vascular resistance were measured by rheoencephalogram in pre-HDT, day 3, 10 and 21 of HDT. Result. In control group, left cerebral I quadrant area and inrush velocity decreased significantly during HDT, and left cerebral delta Gy wave crest height decreased significantly, whereas left cerebral resistance index increased significantly on day 3 and 21 of HDT as compared to those of pre-HDT. In LBNP group, left cerebral I quadrant area decreased significantly, and left cerebral delta Gy wave crest height and inrush velocity tended to decrease on day 3 and 21 of HDT, whereas left cerebral resistance index increased significantly during HDT as compared to those of pre-HDT. There were no significant differences between above indexes in control group and LBNP group. Conclusion. It is suggested that 21 d HDT may increase cerebral vascular resistance and decrease CBF, which can not be prevented by LBNP training in the last week of 21 d HDT.

Adult↗

Effect of 6 degrees head-down tilt on cardiopulmonary function: comparison with microgravity.

BACKGROUND: Head-down tilt (HDT) of 6 degrees is a commonly used model of weightlessness, but there are few comparisons with actual microgravity. HYPOTHESIS: Our study was designed to prove that the changes in cardiopulmonary function seen in HDT would be similar to those seen in microgravity. METHODS: We compared measurements of cardiovascular and pulmonary function from three separate spaceflights of 14 to 17 d duration, with data collected during a 17-d period of HDT. RESULTS: HDT proved a good model of the cardiovascular response to microgravity, resulting in increases in cardiac output and stroke volume of a similar magnitude to those seen in microgravity, with a concomitant reduction in heart rate. By contrast, HDT was a poor model of the effects of microgravity on pulmonary ventilation and gas exchange. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary function in HDT approximated the changes seen in the 1-G supine posture, while in microgravity this was much closer to that seen in the 1-G upright position. The differences probably reflect the fact that changes in cardiovascular function result primarily from fluid shifts within the entire body, whereas changes in pulmonary ventilation are primarily a result of mechanical influences on the lung and chest and abdominal wall.

Adult↗

[Effect of clinorotation on the intensity of lipid peroxidation and superoxide dismutase activity in pea chloroplasts].

The lipid peroxidation intensity and the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were studied in chloroplasts of Pisum sativum under clinorotation (for 7 and 14 days) for elucidating mechanisms of biological effect of altered gravity. In comparison with the control, increased LP levels in chloroplasts were established during both the terms of clinorotation. The SOD activity rose in the chloroplasts of plants clinorotated for 7 days, which has a significant protective effect. However, under a longer clinorotation (for 14 days) the SOD activity fell, being, however, higher than in the control samples. In accordance with the Selye oxidative stress theory, plants clinorotated for 7 days are in the phase of growing stability, while plants clinorotated for 14 days are in the phase of decreasing stability.

Chloroplasts↗

Cardiovascular deconditioning: role of blood volume and sympathetic neurohormones.

Studies of prolonged bed rest and water immersion have amply demonstrated that serious deconditioning of certain gravity-oriented biologic systems occurs with extended exposures to environments in which the necessity for gravity compensation has been reduced. The precise physiologic mechanisms responsible for the loss of orthostatic tolerance following such studies are unknown, but may be related to diminished blood volume, decreased muscle or tissue pressure in the extremities or to functional alterations in the sympathetic nervous system. In view of the fact that noradrenaline is the principal agent for maintaining vascular tone the author has focused his attention on the sympathetic nervous system as being the system most likely responsible for the loss of orthostatic tolerance following such experiments. The contributory effects of diminished circulating blood volume resulting from such environments are also discussed.

Adult↗

[Transition of soleus troponin I isoforms and atrophy of testis in tail-suspended rats].

Objective. To observe the transition time of soleus I (TnI) isoforms and to elucidate the relationship between soleus TnI transition and atrophy; and to analyze the time course between testis atrophy and soleus atrophy. Method. Eight groups of male rats were suspended for 3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 42 d, respectively. Besides, three groups of female rats were suspended for 3, 4 and 5 d respectively. Wet and relative weights (wet weight/body weight) of testis and soleus were measured. The expression of TnI was observed by Western blot. Result. The relative weight of soleus of tail-suspended male rats decreased significantly after 4 d of suspension as compared with control. The degree of rats soleus atrophy in the first 14 d of suspension was greater than that after 14 d. The relative weight of testis showed the same change as that of soleus. There was no significant change in the relative weight of soleus in 4 d of tail-suspended female rats. The significant decrease in the relative weight of tail-suspended female rats began on the 5th day. The Western blot showed that the transition from slow skeletal TnI (ssTnI) to fast skeletal TnI (fsTnI) in the soleus occurred in 14 d of tail-suspension. Conclusion. The overt atrophy of tail-suspended male rats occurs on the 4th day. The soleus TnI transition from ssTnI to fsTnI is on the 14th day. It is suggested that the TnI is not the sensitive protein to gravity. The overt atrophy of female tail-suspended rats occurs at the 5th day. This indicated that the decrease in testosterone level may accelerate the atrophy of the soleus.

Animals↗

The influence of variable gravitational fields on the embryonic development of some ecaudate amphibians.

The fertilized eggs of the frog Rana temporaria immediately after fertilization were rotated on a clinostat in the vertical plane at the rate of 0.66 rotations per minute with a radius of 20 mm for 2.5 hours. A wide spectrum of developmental anomalies was found (33% in the experiment, 14% in the control) which, in the authors' opinion, result from abnormalities in the cortical reaction of symmetrization. These abnormalities manifest themselves in the irregular distribution of cortical pigment and in eccentric division lines.

Animals↗

Analysis of brain wave records from Gemini flight GT-7 by computations to be used in a thirty day primate flight.

It is planned to study central nervous, cardiovascular and metabolic functions in a 6.8 kg macaque monkey (Macaca nemestrina) flown in earth orbit for a period of 30 days during 1967. Monitoring of central nervous functions will be by electroencephalographic (EEG) electrodes in surface and deep brain structures, and by electromyographic (EMG) recordings from neck and trunk musculature. Eye movements will be recorded by the electro-oculogram (EOG) and galvanic skin responses (GSR) will be assessed from the skin of the foot. Respiration will be recorded with an impedance pneumogram (ZPG), together with the electro-cardiogram (EKG). Behavioral tasks will involve tests of perception and recent memory (delayed matching to sample) and eye-hand coordination tests of vestibular functions and spatial orientation. Urine will be collected by a special catheterization technique and subjected to in-flight recording. Our extensive development of EEG spectral analysis techniques has proven the feasibility of accurate assessment of states of alertness, particularly in relation to decision-making requirements, and states of drowsiness, fatigue and detection of levels of sleep, including dream states. We have applied these techniques to approximately 60 hr of EEG data gathered on one subject in a Gemini astronaut flight (GT-7). Data will be presented on states of sleep and wakefulness in this subject during the first 55 hr of flight, with reference to possible changes induced by the space environment.

Animals↗