National Space Biomedical Research Institute

On the last Discovery shuttle flight they took a squat type machine up to the ISS. For six months the astronauts used the resistance machine. Upon landing it was found that those who participated in the exercise program retained or lost very... more »On the last Discovery shuttle flight they took a squat type machine up to the ISS. For six months the astronauts used the resistance machine. Upon landing it was found that those who participated in the exercise program retained or lost very little  muscle mass. Prior to the flights astronauts attempt to put on an optimal amount of muscle that satisfies the per person weight parameters. However, traditionally the muscle loss upon landing on earth has been significant. The last Discovery flight exercise mission confirms that progressive resistance training is possible in a weightless environment. Before I believe the problem had been designing a machine that can accommodate resistance greater than body weight and was still compact enough for the space station. 02-02-2013 8:08am

Comment by Carrie Sasynuik

Interesting.  Well, space is the final frontier according to Jean-Luc Picard of the starship Enterprise. Given this is likely an environment we will continue to explore over the next few hundred years, this is a great first step in... more »Interesting.  Well, space is the final frontier according to Jean-Luc Picard of the starship Enterprise. Given this is likely an environment we will continue to explore over the next few hundred years, this is a great first step in helping astronauts maintain their health as they stay for even longer durations in such an environment. 02-02-2013 10:10am

Comment by Tiffany M Reiss, PhD