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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 343 records · Page 19
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

Metabolic Rate and Ground Reaction Force During Motorized and Non-Motorized Treadmill Exercise

PURPOSE: To measure vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) and oxygen consumption (VO2) at several velocities during exercise using a ground-based version of the ISS treadmill in the M and NM modes. METHODS: Subjects (n = 20) walked or ran at 0.89, 1.34, 1.79, 2.24, 2.68, and 3.12 m/s while VO2 and vGRF data were collected. VO2 was measured using open-circuit spirometry (TrueOne 2400, Parvo-Medics). Data were averaged over the last 2 min of each 5-min stage. vGRF was measured in separate 15-s bouts at 125 Hz using custom-fitted pressure-sensing insoles (F-Scan Sport Sensors, Tekscan, Inc). A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to test for differences in VO2 and vGRF between M and NM and across speeds. Significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Most subjects were unable to exercise for 5 min at treadmill speeds above 1.79 m/s in the NM mode; however, vGRF data were obtained for all subjects at each speed in both modes. VO2 was approx.40% higher during NM than M exercise across treadmill speeds. vGRF increased with treadmill speed but was not different between modes. CONCLUSION: Higher VO2 with no change in vGRF suggests that the additional metabolic cost associated with NM treadmill exercise is accounted for in the horizontal forces required to move the treadmill belt. Although this may limit the exercise duration at faster speeds, high-intensity NM exercise activates the hamstrings and plantarflexors, which are not specifically targeted or well protected by other in-flight countermeasures.

Everett, Meghan E.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Transit Reconfigurable Exerciser - Intern Exit Abstract

The Transit Resistive Exerciser (TREX) was developed during a 16 week period in which a clutch device filled with smart material was built and began the testing phase. The clutch serves as a passive method of creating resistance. When paired with a series of springs, the device creates a rowing machine also capable of resistive exercise configurations. The device has loading profiles similar to the exercise devices used on the International Space Station today. The prototype created was designed in a modular fashion to support parallel development on various aspects of the project. Hardware and software are currently in development and make use of commercially available parts. Similar technologies have been used in the automotive industry but have never been explored in the context of countermeasure systems for space flight. If the work done leads to successful testing and further development, this technology has the potential to cut the size and weight of exercise devices by an order of magnitude or more.

Gebara, Christine A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

The Best Workout on Earth, and in Space

SpiraFlex(R) is a revolutionary new patented technology for storing and delivering mechanical power in industrial, consumer, and fitness equipment. NASA research facilities and funding helped to develop the "Resistance Exercise Device" (RED), powered by SpiraFlex. SpiraFlex duplicates the benefits of free-weights in a lightweight, portable, and safe system. The RED system is presently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and is used by the crewmembers as a primary countermeasure against musculoskeletal degradation caused by microgravity. Using SpiraFlex technology, Schwinn Cycling & Fitness, Inc., of Boulder, Colorado, launched an international fitness program for health clubs and select retail distributors, called RiPP(TM) (Resistance Performance Program). RiPP is an exercise program that uses RiPP Pro machines, powered by SpiraFlex technology.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

Evidence for altered alpha-adrenoreceptor responsiveness after a single bout of maximal exercise

We studied hemodynamic responses to alpha- and beta-receptor agonists in eight men to test the hypothesis that adrenoreceptor responsiveness is altered within 24 h of the performance of maximal exercise. Adrenoreceptor responsiveness was tested under two experimental conditions (with and without maximal exercise). Adrenoreceptor tests were performed 24 h after each subject performed graded upright cycle ergometry to volitional exhaustion. The 2 test days (experimental conditions) were separated by at least 1 wk, and the order of exercise and no-exercise conditions was counterbalanced. Steady-state graded infusions of phenylephrine (PE) and isoproterenol (Iso) were used to assess alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptor responsiveness, respectively. Slopes calculated from linear regressions between Iso and PE doses and changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and leg vascular resistance for each subject were used as an index of alpha- and beta-adrenoreceptor responsiveness. The slope of the relationship between heart rate and Iso with maximal exercise was 1773 +/- 164 beats x microm-1x kg-1x min-1 compared with 1987 +/- 142 beats x microg-1x kg-1x min-1 without exercise (P = 0.158), whereas the slopes of the relationship between vascular resistance to Iso were -438 +/- 123 peripheral resistance units (PRU) x microg-1x kg-1x min-1 with maximal exercise and -429 +/- 105 x microg-1x kg-1 x min-1 without exercise (P = 0.904). Maximal exercise was associated with greater (P < 0.05) vascular resistance (15.1 +/- 2.8 PRU x microg-1 kg-1x min-1) and mean arterial blood pressure (15.8 +/- 2.1 mmHg. microg-1x kg-1x min-1) responses to PE infusion compared with no exercise (9.0 +/- 2.0 PRU x microg-1 kg-1 x min-1 and 10.9 +/- 2.0 mmHg. microg-1x kg-1x min-1, respectively). These results provide evidence that a single bout of maximal exercise increases alpha1-adrenoreceptor responsiveness within 24 h without affecting beta-cardiac and vascular adrenoreceptor responses.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2003

Prediction of muscle performance during dynamic repetitive movement

BACKGROUND: During long-duration spaceflight, astronauts experience progressive muscle atrophy and often perform strenuous extravehicular activities. Post-flight, there is a lengthy recovery period with an increased risk for injury. Currently, there is a critical need for an enabling tool to optimize muscle performance and to minimize the risk of injury to astronauts while on-orbit and during post-flight recovery. Consequently, these studies were performed to develop a method to address this need. METHODS: Eight test subjects performed a repetitive dynamic exercise to failure at 65% of their upper torso weight using a Lordex spinal machine. Surface electromyography (SEMG) data was collected from the erector spinae back muscle. The SEMG data was evaluated using a 5th order autoregressive (AR) model and linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The best predictor found was an AR parameter, the mean average magnitude of AR poles, with r = 0.75 and p = 0.03. This parameter can predict performance to failure as early as the second repetition of the exercise. CONCLUSION: A method for predicting human muscle performance early during dynamic repetitive exercise was developed. The capability to predict performance to failure has many potential applications to the space program including evaluating countermeasure effectiveness on-orbit, optimizing post-flight recovery, and potential future real-time monitoring capability during extravehicular activity.

Physical Endurance/physiology↗
NASA NTRS1989

Work, exercise, and space flight. 1: Operations, environment, and effects of spaceflight

The selection, training, and operations of space flight impose significant physical demands which seem to be adequately met by the existing physical training facilities and informal individual exercise programs. The professional astronaut population has, by selection, better than average health and physical capacity. The essentials of life on earth are adequately met by the spacecraft. However, as the human body adapts to weightlessness, it is compromised for the usual life on earth, but readaptation is rapid. Long term flight without countermeasures will produce major changes in the cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems. There is strong theoretical and experimental evidence from 1-g studies and limited in-flight evidence to believe that exercise is a key counter-measure to many of these adaptations.

Thornton, William↗
NASA NTRS2004

A Dual Track Treadmill in a Virtual Reality Environment as a Countermeasure for Neurovestibular Adaptations in Microgravity

While the neurovestibular system is capable of adapting to altered environments such as microgravity, the adaptive state achieved in space in inadequate for 1G. This leads to giant and postural instabilities when returning to a gravity environment and may create serious problems in future mission to Mars. New methods are needed to improve the understanding of the adaptive capabilities of the human neurovestibular system and to develop more effective countermeasures. The concept behind the current study is that by challenging the neurovestibular system while walking or running a treadmill can help to read just the relationship between the visual, vestibular and proprioceptive signals that are altered in a microgravity environment. As a countermeasure, this device could also benefit the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems and at the same time decrease the overall time spent exercising. The overall goal of this research is to design, develop, build and test a dual track treadmill, which utilizes virtual reality, VR, displays.

DAndrea, Susan E.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Muscle sympathetic nerve responses to physiological changes in prostaglandin production in humans

Previous studies suggest that prostaglandins may contribute to exercise-induced increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA). To test this hypothesis, MSNA was measured at rest and during exercise before and after oral administration of ketoprofen, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, or placebo. Twenty-one subjects completed two bouts of graded dynamic and isometric handgrip to fatigue. Each exercise bout was followed by 2 min of postexercise muscle ischemia. The second exercise bouts were performed after 60 min of rest in which 11 subjects were given ketoprofen (300 mg) and 10 subjects received a placebo. Ketoprofen significantly lowered plasma thromboxane B(2) in the drug group (from 36 +/- 6 to 22 +/- 3 pg/ml, P < 0.04), whereas thromboxane B(2) in the placebo group increased from 40 +/- 5 to 61 +/- 9 pg/ml from trial 1 to trial 2 (P < 0.008). Ketoprofen and placebo did not change sympathetic and cardiovascular responses to dynamic handgrip, isometric handgrip, and postexercise muscle ischemia. There was no relationship between thromboxane B(2) concentrations and MSNA or arterial pressure responses during both exercise modes. The data indicate that physiological increases or decreases in prostaglandins do not alter exercise-induced increases in MSNA and arterial pressure in humans. These findings suggest that contraction-induced metabolites other than prostaglandins mediate MSNA responses to exercise in humans.

Clinical Trial↗
NASA NTRS2004

A Dual Track Treadmill in a Virtual Reality Environment as a Countermeasure for Neurovestibular Adaptations in Microgravity

While the neurovestibular system is capable of adapting to altered environments such as microgravity, the adaptive state achieved in space in inadequate for 1G. This leads to gait and postural instabilities when returning to a gravity environment and may create serious problems in future missions to Mars. New methods are needed to improve the understanding of the adaptive capabilities of the human neurovestibular system and to develop more effective countermeasures. The concept behind the current study is that by challenging the neurovestibular system while walking or running, a treadmill can help to readjust the relationship between the visual, vestibular and proprioceptive signals that are altered in a microgravity environment. As a countermeasure, this device could also benefit the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems and at the same time decrease the overall time spent exercising. The overall goal of this research is to design, develop, build and test a dual track treadmill, which utilizes virtual reality,

DAndrea, Susan E.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Technology Development to Support Human Health and Performance in Exploration Beyond Low Earth Orbit

In the course of defining the level of risks and mitigating the risks for exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit, NASA s Human Research Program (HRP) has identified the need for technology development in several areas. Long duration missions increase the risk of serious medical conditions due to limited options for return to Earth; no resupply; highly limited mass, power, volume; and communication delays. New space flight compatible medical capabilities required include: diagnostic imaging, oxygen concentrator, ventilator, laboratory analysis (saliva, blood, urine), kidney stone diagnosis & treatment, IV solution preparation and delivery. Maintenance of behavioral health in such an isolated, confined and extreme environment requires new sensory stimulation (e.g., virtual reality) technology. Unobtrusive monitoring of behavioral health and treatment methods are also required. Prolonged exposure to weightlessness deconditions bone, muscle, and the cardiovascular system. Novel exercise equipment or artificial gravity are necessary to prevent deconditioning. Monitoring of the degree of deconditioning is required to ensure that countermeasures are effective. New technologies are required in all the habitable volumes (e.g., suit, capsule, habitat, exploration vehicle, lander) to provide an adequate food system, and to meet human environmental standards for air, water, and surface contamination. Communication delays require the crew to be more autonomous. Onboard decision support tools that assist crew with real-time detection and diagnosis of vehicle and habitat operational anomalies will enable greater autonomy. Multi-use shield systems are required to provide shielding from solar particle events. The HRP is pursuing the development of these technologies in laboratories, flight analog environments and the ISS so that the human health and performance risks will be acceptable with the available resources.

Kundrot, C.E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Long-term effects of microgravity and possible countermeasures

The measures that can be taken to counteract the effect of long-term exposures to microgravity are discussed. It is noted that, although it was shown that specially designed exercise programs can counteract the effect of exposures of up to one year in space, is it questionable whether U.S. astronauts could or should have to maintain such regimes for extremely prolonged missions. The methods considered by NASA Life Sciences Division are to provide an artificial gravity environment by the generation of centrifugal forces by means of either the continuous rotation of the whole spacecraft or using a short-arm centrifuge on board a zero-g spacecraft. Results obtained in studies of these two methods are discussed, and the centrifuge research facility that is presently being developed by NASA is described.

Wolfe, James W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Volumetric Assessment of UPRITE Exercises From Marker-Based Motion Capture

Lack of volumetric data on full-body movement exercises presents a challenge to ensuring the fit of crew members’ full range of motion on the International Space Station (ISS). The Upright Proprioception Retention via In-flight Training and Evaluation (UPRITE) is a sensorimotor countermeasure device designed for maintaining crew members’ proprioception in a microgravity environment (Figure 1). This work compares differences between data collection-based “high-fidelity” volumes and a “cone volume” with simplified assumptions (95th percentile in stature human standing on UPRITE while tilted and revolved around vertical axis). Objective: To provide the spatial parameters of exercises on the UPRITE such that it is placed on the ISS according to its volumetric demands or that usage is adjusted to fit the available space.

L D Quinto↗
DOE OSTI2022

Urban working groups in the IAEA’s model testing programmes: overview from the MODARIA I and MODARIA II programmes

The IAEA’s model testing programmes have included a series of Working Groups concerned with modelling radioactive contamination in urban environments. These have included the Urban Working Group of Validation of Environmental Model Predictions (1988–1994), the Urban Remediation Working Group of Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety (EMRAS) (2003–2007), the Urban Areas Working Group of EMRAS II (2009–2011), the Urban Environments Working Group of (Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments) MODARIA I (2013–2015), and most recently, the Urban Exposures Working Group of MODARIA II (2016–2019). The overarching objective of these Working Groups has been to test and improve the capabilities of computer models used to assess radioactive contamination in urban environments, including dispersion and deposition processes, short-term and long-term redistribution of contaminants following deposition events, and the effectiveness of various countermeasures and other protective actions, including remedial actions, in reducing contamination levels, human exposures, and doses to humans. This paper describes the exercises conducted during the MODARIA I and MODARIA II programmes. These exercises have included short-range and mid-range atmospheric dispersion exercises based on data from field tests or tracer studies, hypothetical urban dispersion exercises, and an exercise based on data collected after the Fukushima Daiichi accident. We report improvement of model capabilities will lead to improvements in assessing various contamination scenarios (real or hypothetical), and in turn, to improved decision-making and communication with the public following a nuclear or radiological emergency.

61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY↗
NASA NTRS1989

Human tolerance to space flight

Medical studies of astronauts and cosmonauts before, during, and after space missions have identified several effects of weightlessness and other factors that influence the ability of humans to tolerate space flight. Weightlessness effects include space motion sickness, cardiovascular abnormalities, reduction in immune system function, loss of red blood cells, loss of bone mass, and muscle atrophy. Extravehicular activity (EVA) increases the likelihood that decompression sickness may occur. Radiation also gives reason for concern about health of crewmembers, and psychological factors are important on long-term flights. Countermeasures that have been used include sensory preadaptation, prebreathing and use of various air mixtures for EVA, loading with water and electrolytes, exercise, use of pharmacological agents and special diets, and psychological support. It appears that humans can tolerate and recover satisfactorily from at least one year of space flight, but a number of conditions must be further ameliorated before long-duration missions can be considered routine.

Huntoon, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Counteracting Muscle Atrophy using Galvanic Stimulation of the Vestibular System

The unloading of weight bearing from antigravity muscles during space flight produces significant muscle atrophy and is one of the most serious health problems facing the space program. Various exercise regimens have been developed and used either alone or in combination with pharmacological techniques to ameliorate this atrophy, but no effective countermeasure exists for this problem. The research in this project was conducted to evaluate the potential use of vestibular galvanic stimulation (VGS) to prevent muscle atrophy resulting from unloading of weight bearing from antigravity muscles. This approach was developed based on two concepts related to the process of maintaining the status of the anti-gravity neuromuscular system. These two premises are: (1) The "tone," or bias on spinal motorneurons is affected by vestibular projections that contribute importantly to maintaining muscle health and status. (2) VGS can be used to modify the excitability, or 'tone' of motorneuron of antigravity muscles. Thus, the strategy is to use VGS to modify the gain of vestibular projections to antigravity muscles and thereby change the general status of these muscles.

Fox, Robert A.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Effects of Zoledronate and Mechanical Loading during Simulated Weightlessness on Bone Structure and Mechanical Properties

Space flight modulates bone remodeling to favor bone resorption. Current countermeasures include an anti-resorptive drug class, bisphosphonates (BP), and high-force loading regimens. Does the combination of anti-resorptives and high-force exercise during weightlessness have negative effects on the mechanical and structural properties of bone? In this study, we implemented an integrated model to mimic mechanical strain of exercise via cyclical loading (CL) in mice treated with the BP Zoledronate (ZOL) combined with hindlimb unloading (HU). Our working hypothesis is that CL combined with ZOL in the HU model induces additive structural and mechanical changes. Thirty-two C57BL6 mice (male,16 weeks old, n8group) were exposed to 3 weeks of either HU or normal ambulation (NA). Cohorts of mice received one subcutaneous injection of ZOL (45gkg), or saline vehicle, prior to experiment. The right tibia was axially loaded in vivo, 60xday to 9N in compression, repeated 3xweek during HU. During the application of compression, secant stiffness (SEC), a linear estimate of slope of the force displacement curve from rest (0.5N) to max load (9.0N), was calculated for each cycle once per week. Ex vivo CT was conducted on all subjects. For ex vivo mechanical properties, non-CL left femurs underwent 3-point bending. In the proximal tibial metaphysis, HU decreased, CL increased, and ZOL increased the cancellous bone volume to total volume ratio by -26, +21, and +33, respectively. Similar trends held for trabecular thickness and number. Ex vivo left femur mechanical properties revealed HU decreased stiffness (-37),and ZOL mitigated the HU stiffness losses (+78). Data on the ex vivo Ultimate Force followed similar trends. After 3 weeks, HU decreased in vivo SEC (-16). The combination of CL+HU appeared additive in bone structure and mechanical properties. However, when HU + CL + ZOL were combined, ZOL had no additional effect (p0.05) on in vivo SEC. Structural data followed this trend with ZOL not modulating trabecular thickness in CL + NAHU mice. In summary, our integrated model simulates the combination of weightlessness, exercise-induced mechanical strain, and anti-resorptive treatment that astronauts experience during space missions. Based on these results, we conclude that, at the structural and stiffness level, zoledronate treatment during simulated spaceflight does not impede the skeletal response to axial compression. In contrast to our hypothesis, our data show that zoledronate confers no additional mechanical or structural benefit beyond those gained from cyclical loading.

Mechanical Loading↗
NASA NTRS1997

An overview of the issues: physiological effects of bed rest and restricted physical activity

Reduction of exercise capacity with confinement to bed rest is well recognized. Underlying physiological mechanisms include dramatic reductions in maximal stroke volume, cardiac output, and oxygen uptake. However, bed rest by itself does not appear to contribute to cardiac dysfunction. Increased muscle fatigue is associated with reduced muscle blood flow, red cell volume, capillarization and oxidative enzymes. Loss of muscle mass and bone density may be reflected by reduced muscle strength and higher risk for injury to bones and joints. The resultant deconditioning caused by bed rest can be independent of the primary disease and physically debilitating in patients who attempt to reambulate to normal active living and working. A challenge to clinicians and health care specialists has been the identification of appropriate and effective methods to restore physical capacity of patients during or after restricted physical activity associated with prolonged bed rest. The examination of physiological responses to bed rest deconditioning and exercise training in healthy subjects has provided significant information to develop effective rehabilitation treatments. The successful application of acute exercise to enhance orthostatic stability, daily endurance exercise to maintain aerobic capacity, or specific resistance exercises to maintain musculoskeletal integrity rather than the use of surgical, pharmacological, and other medical treatments for clinical conditions has been enhanced by investigation and understanding of underlying mechanisms that distinguish physical deconditioning from the disease. This symposium presents an overview of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal deconditioning associated with reduced physical work capacity following prolonged bed rest and exercise training regimens that have proven successful in ameliorating or reversing these adverse effects.

NASA Program Space Physiology and Countermeasures↗
NASA NTRS2009

Bisphosphonate as a Countermeasure to Space Flight-Induced Bone Loss

The purpose of this research is to determine whether anti-resorptive pharmaceuticals such as bisphosphonates, in conjunction with the routine in-flight exercise program, will protect ISS crewmembers from the regional decreases in bone mineral density and bone strength and the increased renal stone risk documented on previous long-duration space flights [1-3]. Losses averaged ~ 1 to 2 percent per month in such regions as the lumbar spine and hip. Although losses showed significant heterogeneity among individuals and between bones within a given subject, space flight-induced bone loss was a consistent finding. More than 90 percent of astronauts and cosmonauts on long-duration flights (average 171 days) aboard Mir and the ISS, had a minimum 5 percent loss in at least one skeletal site, 40 percent of them had a 10 percent or greater loss in at least one skeletal site, and 22 percent of the Mir cosmonauts experienced a 15 to 20 percent loss in at least one site. These losses occurred even though the crewmembers performed time-consuming in-flight exercise regimens. Moreover, a recent study of 16 ISS astronauts using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) demonstrated trabecular bone losses from the hip averaging 2.3 percent per month [4]. These losses were accompanied by significant losses in hip bone strength that may not be recovered quickly [5]. This rapid loss of bone mass results from a combination of increased and uncoupled remodeling, as demonstrated by increased resorption with little or no change in bone formation markers [6-7]. This elevated remodeling rate likely affects the cortical and trabecular architecture and may lead to irreversible changes. In addition to bone loss, the resulting hypercalciuria increases renal stone risk. Therefore, it is logical to attempt to attenuate this increased remodeling with anti-resorption drugs such as bisphosphonates. Success with alendronate was demonstrated in a bed rest study [8]. This work has been extended to space flight and two dosing regimens: 1) an oral dose of 70 mg of alendronate taken weekly during flight or 2) a single intravenous (IV) dose of 4 mg of zoledronic acid given several weeks before flight. Currently the study is focusing on the oral option because of NASA s safety concerns with the IV-administered drug. The protocol requests 10 male or female crewmembers on ISS flights of 90 days or longer. Controls are 16 previous ISS crewmembers with QCT scans of the hip performed by these same investigators. The primary outcome measure for this study is hip trabecular bone mineral density measured by QCT, but other measures of bone mass are performed including peripheral QCT (pQCT) and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Serum and urinary bone markers and renal stone risk measured before, during, and after flight are included. Postflight data are currently being collected from 2 ISS crewmembers. Two additional crewmembers will return this spring after ~6-month missions. To date no untoward effects have been encountered.

Spector, Elisabeth↗