Status and efficacy of countermeasures to physiological deconditioning from space flight.
The recent biomedical investigations conducted on the Space Shuttle and Spacelab have provided a wealth of biomedical information, including the ability to test the efficacy of proposed countermeasures. This achievement was made possible by the ability to conduct mechanistic and control-interventive studies simultaneously with a large number of individuals over a relatively brief period and to compare these data with results obtained from the Skylab missions. Comparisons between short- and long-duration results were limited to establishing trends or extrapolating from short-duration missions. To date, we have evaluated several protocols involving the lower-body negative pressure (LBNP) device, the bicycle-ergometer, the treadmill and preparations for body-fluid replenishment. In many instances, the traditional means of applying these protocols were not sufficient to protect against space-related deconditioning. This paper will review current countermeasures and compare their efficacy to that of existing protocols. Results from in-flight and ground-based experiments will be presented to illuminate the recommended protocols and procedures.
Nicogossian
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A
Pool
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Sawin
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C
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000337:Aerospace Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D016552:Ergometry; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005440:Fluid Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007552:Isotonic Solutions; D008150:Lower Body Negative Pressure; D013026:Space Flight / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000639:trends*; D019442:Space Suits; D013696:Temperature; D014893:Weightlessness / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018544:Weightlessness Countermeasures
D007552:Isotonic Solutions