Spending an extended period in lower gravity negatively impacts our health -- it can weaken muscles and deteriorate bones. However, there's a way for astronauts to exercise imitating Earth's gravity even when in space.
Wall Running in Moon-Like Gravity
Researchers at the University of Milan found a way for astronauts aboard the International Space Station to exercise like they were on Earth despite the lack of gravity in outer space. The "wall of death" amusement park, where daredevils ride motorbikes parallel to the ground down the inside wall of a massive cylinder, inspired the researchers to see if they could create a configuration for space runners that would be similar.
An earthbound motorcyclist experiences an outward centrifugal force as they speed around the cylinder because their inertia pushes them against the wall. The force prevents the motorcycle's tires from slipping down the wall by creating friction between them.
We are unable to create the inertia needed to defy gravity on Earth by running quickly enough. However, hypothetically, we could battle against less gravity on the Moon.
Two participants-a man and a woman-were given a wall of death cylinder to run inside, and they were both strapped into a counterweight that replicated the gravity of the Moon. The feat was soon picked up by both players.
After analyzing their movements, researchers concluded that a wall running under Moon-like gravity imposes forces on the body that are extremely comparable to those felt by Earth runners. They propose that astronauts may run within such a device to stay physically fit on the Moon, especially since Artemis III will be sending humans to the lunar surface.
Astronauts More Susceptible To Infection While in Space
Living in space causes genetic changes in astronauts. According to a previous study, astronauts are more vulnerable to infections outside our planet since their immune systems deteriorate.
There is growing evidence that astronauts are more susceptible to sickness. For example, those who spend a lot of time on the International Space Station (ISS) often develop skin rashes as well as respiratory and non-respiratory ailments.
A team of researchers from the University of Ottawa examined blood samples taken before to, during, and following space missions from 11 men and 3 women astronauts. Between 2015 and 2019, the individuals were residents of the International Space Station (ISS) for around four to six months.
The research shows that when astronauts travel to space, the expression of numerous immune-related genes rapidly decreases, but when they return to Earth after a six-month stay on the International Space Station, the opposite happens.
The possibility of contracting infectious diseases makes it more difficult for astronauts to perform their demanding tasks in orbit. Furthermore, in the event that a sickness or immune-related issue worsened to the point where medical attention was necessary, astronauts in space would have limited access to care and medication.
But within a year of returning to Earth, the majority of the damaged genes began to express themselves at pre-flight levels once more, according to the researchers. It occurred, on average, a few weeks earlier and much sooner.
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