Fitness, blood, and urine measurements from the 2009 European astronaut selection medical examination.
BACKGROUND
The European Space Agency conducted an astronaut selection campaign in 2008-09 which attracted over 8000 applicants. Of those, 45 made the final assessment stage: the medical examination (MEX). This retrospective, observational study reports exercise and fitness data, lipid profiles and other results of interest from the blood and urine samples of this niche subpopulation.


METHODS
All the applicants that reached the MEX completed a Bruce protocol test and a standard blood draw (12 h of fasting, water intake was ad libitum) was collected together with a 24-h urine collection. All the results were compared to either a comparative population or reference range.


RESULTS
The applicants had comparable fitness levels to the 90th percentile of their age group. The lipid profiles were observed to be within the 'optimal' or 'desirable' ranges. Bilirubin and creatinine clearance were measured at 1.2 (+/- 0.40) mg x dl(-1) and 131.0 (+/- 25.81) ml x min(-1), respectively, and both were shown to be significantly higher than their respective normative ranges, while urinary creatinine (0.65 (+/- 0.19) g x L(-1)) was significantly lower than the reference range.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, the results from the Bruce protocol and lipid profile show that the final round applicants were in good health and physically active. The most likely cause of the elevated bilirubin and creatinine levels was 'last-minute' exercise conducted by the final round applicants before the MEX and the low levels of urinary creatinine may be attributed to drinking high quantities of water with an associated hypovolemia, diluting the urine.
European Astronaut Centre, European Space Agency, Linder Hoehe, Cologne, Germany.
Mehdi
M
Kordi
French Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology, Clinique Spatiale, Toulouse Cedex, France.
Arnaud
A
Beck
European Astronaut Centre, European Space Agency, Linder Hoehe, Cologne, Germany.
Volker
V
Damann
French Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology, Clinique Spatiale, Toulouse Cedex, France.
Brigitte
B
Godard
Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Linder Hoehe, Cologne, Germany.
Götz
G
Kluge
Wyle GmbH, Cologne, Germany.
Casey
C
Pruett
Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Linder Hoehe, Cologne, Germany.
Martin
M
Trammer
Wyle GmbH, Cologne, Germany.
Simon
S
Evetts
D000328:Adult; D018480:Astronauts; D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D003401:Creatine / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010560:Personnel Selection; D010808:Physical Examination; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D008055:Lipids; D003401:Creatine; D001663:Bilirubin