The 2nd Berlin BedRest Study: protocol and implementation.
Long-term bed-rest is used to simulate the effect of spaceflight on the human body and test different kinds of countermeasures. The 2nd Berlin BedRest Study (BBR2-2) tested the efficacy of whole-body vibration in addition to high-load resisitance exercise in preventing bone loss during bed-rest. Here we present the protocol of the study and discuss its implementation. Twenty-four male subjects underwent 60-days of six-degree head down tilt bed-rest and were randomised to an inactive control group (CTR), a high-load resistive exercise group (RE) or a high-load resistive exercise with whole-body vibration group (RVE). Subsequent to events in the course of the study (e.g. subject withdrawal), 9 subjects participated in the CTR-group, 7 in the RVE-group and 8 (7 beyond bed-rest day-30) in the RE-group. Fluid intake, urine output and axiallary temperature increased during bed-rest (p < .0001), though similarly in all groups (p > or = .17). Body weight changes differed between groups (p < .0001) with decreases in the CTR-group, marginal decreases in the RE-group and the RVE-group displaying significant decreases in body-weight beyond bed-rest day-51 only. In light of events and experiences of the current study, recommendations on various aspects of bed-rest methodology are also discussed.
Belavý
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DL
Charité Universitatsmedizin Berlin, Center of Muscle and Bone Research, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany. belavy@gmail.com
Bock
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Börst
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Armbrecht
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Gast
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Degner
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Beller
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Soll
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Salanova
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Habazettl
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Heer
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de Haan
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Stegeman
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Cerretelli
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Blottner
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Rittweger
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Gelfi
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Kornak
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Felsenberg
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D000328:Adult; D001510:Bed Rest / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001604:Berlin; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult