A study of the effects of prolonged simulated microgravity on the musculature of the lower extremities in man: an introduction.
The reduction of muscle strength and size of the lower extremities has been observed following spaceflight. However, there are virtually no data from direct measurements of muscle tissue which provide a means of understanding the physiological alterations associated with the impaired function. We therefore conducted a study in which eight healthy men underwent 30 days of continuous exposure to 6 degrees headdown tilt as an analogue for space microgravity. We used percutaneous muscle biopsy, computed tomography, anthropometry, and in vivo muscle strength measures under controlled experimental conditions to provide new data about mechanical, structural, and metabolic characteristics of skeletal muscle in man following exposure to microgravity.
Buchanan
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Biomedical Operations and Research Office, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899.
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D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000209:etiology*; D012107:Research Design; D013026:Space Flight; D014893:Weightlessness / Q000009:adverse effects*