The experience may be out of this world, but research indicates that those who travel to outer space suffer greater bone loss.
A study published Thursday by the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary followed 17 astronauts before and after their spaceflight.
The TBone study, conducted over a seven-year period beginning in 2015, found that prolonged weightlessness accelerated bone loss in astronauts.
“We found that weight-bearing bones were only partially recovered in most astronauts a year after the space flight,” said Dr. Leigh Gabel, an assistant professor in the faculty of kinesiology and lead author of the study.
“This suggests that permanent bone loss due to space flight is roughly the same as a decade of age-related bone loss on Earth.”
The researchers traveled to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to scan the wrists and ankles of the astronauts before leaving for space, on their return to Earth after six months and a year.
The findings, published in Scientific Reports, said the loss occurs because bones that normally support weight on Earth, such as the legs, should not carry weight in a zero-gravity environment.
“We’ve seen astronauts who had trouble walking due to weakness and lack of balance after returning from space flight to others who happily rode their bikes to the Johnson Space Center campus to meet us for a study visit, ”said Dr. Steven Boyd, director of the study. the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health and professor at the Cumming School of Medicine.
“There is a wide variety of responses among astronauts when they return to Earth.”
The study found that some astronauts who flew on shorter missions, less than six months, regained bone strength and density in the lower body compared to those who flew for longer.
Next study to focus on longer trips
As future space missions are exploring trips to more distant locations, the next iteration of the study plans to analyze the effects of even longer trips, to support astronauts who may one day travel beyond the Space Station. International.
Former Rector and astronaut at the University of Calgary Robert Thirsk said he knows how difficult it can be to return to solid ground.
“Just as the body has to adapt to space flight at the beginning of a mission, it also has to readjust to the Earth’s gravitational field at the end,” he said.
“Fatigue, dizziness and imbalance were immediate challenges for me on my return. Bones and muscles take longer to recover after space flight. But after a day of landing, I left to feel comfortable again as an earthling. “
The study was funded by the Canadian Space Agency in collaboration with the European Space Agency, NASA and astronauts from North America, Europe and Asia.