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At least 73 records · Page 4

Orthostasis: exercise and exercise training

There are two major problems here that are not independent. One is the more practically oriented problem of determining the effect of various modes of exercise training on gravitational tolerances, i.e., the point of syncope (unconsciousness) usually estimated from the time of appearance of presyncopal signs and symptoms. The other is more theoretical and concerns the mechanism of blood pressure failure that results in syncope. In many experimental designs these two problems or purposes have been intermingled, with equivocal results.

Review, Tutorial↗

Heat Acclimation and Water-Immersion Deconditioning: Fluid Electrolyte Shifts with Tilting

One of the major problems encountered by astronauts exposed to space flight is a reduction of orthostatic tolerance on return to earth. Many studies have been performed in an attempt to define the physiologic mechanism of orthostatic intolerance and to develop some remedial treatment. Exercise training does not appear to enhance orthostatic tolerance . In contrast, heat acclimation (i.e., exercise training in the heat) has been reported to enhance orthostatic tolerance. Since plasma volume increases with both exercise training and heat acclimation, it is not clear what role fluid and electrolytes play in determining tolerance to hydrostatic pressure. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of exercise training in a cool environment and heat acclimation on resting plasma volume (PV) and the ensuing fluid and electrolyte shifts which occur during head-up tilting before and after water immersion deconditioning.

Conertino, V. A.↗

Lower-body negative-pressure exercise and bed-rest-mediated orthostatic intolerance

PURPOSE: Supine, moderate exercise is ineffective in maintaining orthostatic tolerance after bed rest (BR). Our purpose was to test the hypothesis that adding an orthostatic stress during exercise would maintain orthostatic function after BR. METHODS: Seven healthy men completed duplicate 15-d 6 degrees head-down tilt BR using a crossover design. During one BR, subjects did not exercise (CON). During another BR, subjects exercised for 40 min.d(-1) on a supine treadmill against 50-60 mm Hg LBNP (EX). Exercise training consisted of an interval exercise protocol of 2- to 3-min intervals alternating between 41 and 65% (.)VO(2max). Before and after BR, an LBNP tolerance test was performed in which the LBNP chamber was decompressed in 10-mm Hg stages every 3 min until presyncope. RESULTS: LBNP tolerance, as assessed by the cumulative stress index (CSI) decreased after BR in both the CON (830 +/- 144, pre-BR vs 524 +/- 56 mm Hg.min, post-BR) and the EX (949 +/- 118 pre-BR vs 560 +/- 44 mm Hg.min, post-BR) conditions. However, subtolerance (0 to -50 mm Hg LBNP) heart rates were lower and systolic blood pressures were better maintained after BR in the EX condition compared with CON. CONCLUSION: Moderate exercise performed against LBNP simulating an upright 1-g environment failed to protect orthostatic tolerance after 15 d of BR.

NASA Center JSC↗

Effect of confinement in small space flight size cages on insulin sensitivity of exercise-trained rats

The effect of confinement in small cages (simulating the size to be used in future space Shuttle missions) on insulin sensitivity was studied in rats having an increased insulin sensitivity due to exercise training prior to confinement. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were given to both control and exercise-trained rats before and after placement in the small cages for 7 days. The insulin resistance was assessed by the product of the area of the insulin and glucose curves of the OGTT (IG index). Results show that the values obtained before confinement were one-half as high in exercise-trained rats as those in control rats, reflecting an increased sensitivity to insulin with exercise training. After 7 days confinement, the IG index was found to be not significantly different from initial values for both control and exercise-trained rats. These findings suggest that increased insulin sensitivity in exercise-trained rats persists 7 days after cessation of running activity. The data also indicate that exercise training, before flight, may be beneficial in minimizing the loss of insulin sensitivity expected with decreased use of gravity dependent muscles during exposure to hypogravity in space flight.

Mondon, C. E.↗

Exercise Training During +Gz Acceleration

The overall purpose is to study the effect of passive (without exercise) and active (with exercise) +Gz (head-to-foot) acceleration training, using a short-arm (1.9m radius) centrifuge, on post- training maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max, work capacity) and 70 deg head-up tilt (orthostatic) tolerance in ambulatory subjects to test the hypothesis that (a) both passive and active acceleration training will improve post-training tilt-tolerance, and (b) there will be no difference in tilt-tolerance between passive and active exercise acceleration training because increased hydrostatic and blood pressures, rather than increased muscular metabolism, will provide the major adaptive stimulus. The purpose of the pilot study was to test the hypothesis that there would be no significant difference in the metabolic responses (oxygen uptake, heart rate, pulmonary ventilation, or respiratory exchange ratio) during supine exercise with moderate +Gz acceleration.

Greenleaf, J. E.↗

Exercise Within LBNP to Produce Artificial Gravity

Integrated physiologic countermeasures are needed to maintain orthostatic tolerance after spaceflight or bed rest. We hypothesized that supine exercise during LBNP would prevent bed rest-induced loss of orthostatic tolerance by preventing hemoconcentration. In a study conducted jointly with NASA Johnson Space Center and the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, fifteen male subjects underwent 5 days of 6 deg head-down bed rest: 5 control subjects did not exercise, and 10 performed 30 min/day of supine interval treadmill exercise at intensities up to 90% VO(sub 2peak). We will undertake two 14 day bed-rest studies (6 deg head-down tilt bed rest, HDT) to investigate the mechanism of action and efficacy of our partial vacuum exerciser concept. These 14 day bed rest studies were chosen to simulate current microgravity exposures for Space Shuttle crew members.

Hargens, Alan R.↗

+Gz tolerance after 14 days bed rest and the effects of rehydration.

Measurement of the reduction in centrifugation tolerance after two weeks of bedrest with moderate daily exercise, with an attempt to determine if rehydration improves +Gz tolerance. There were significant reductions in +Gz tolerance during bedrest periods at three acceleration levels. Rehydration resulted in a significant increase in tolerance at 2.1G but it did not restore tolerance to control levels. Rehydration did not affect tolerance at 3.2G and 3.8G.

Greenleaf, J. E.↗

Spacelab Life Sciences flight experiments: an integrated approach to the study of cardiovascular deconditioning and orthostatic hypotension

The microgravity environment of spaceflight produces rapid cardiovascular changes which are adaptive and appropriate in that setting, but are associated with significant deconditioning and orthostatic hypotension on return to Earth's gravity. The rapidity with which these space flight induced changes appear and disappear provides an ideal model for studying the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of deconditioning and orthostatic hypotension, regardless of etiology. Since significant deconditioning is seen after flights of very short duration, muscle atrophy due to inactivity plays, at most, a small role. These changes in circulatory control associated with cephalad fluid shifts, rather than inactivity per se, are probably more important factors. In order to test this hypothesis in a systematic way, a multidisciplinary approach which defines and integrates inputs and responses from a wide variety of circulatory sub-systems is required. The cardiovascular experiments selected for Spacelab Life Sciences flights 1 and 2 provide such an approach. Both human and animal models will be utilized. Pre- and post-flight characterization of the payload crew includes determination of maximal exercise capacity (bicycle ergometry), orthostatic tolerance (lower body negative pressure), alpha and beta adrenergic sensitivity (isoproterenol and phenylephrine infusions), baroreflex sensitivity (ECG-gated, stepwise changes in carotid artery transmural pressure with a pneumatic neck collar), and responses to a 24 h period of 5 deg head-down tilt. Measurements of cardiac output (CO2 and C2H2 rebreathing), cardiac chamber dimensions (phased-array 2-dimensional echocardiography), direct central venous pressure, leg volume (Thornton sock), limb blood flow and venous compliance (occlusion plethysmography), blood and plasma volumes, renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rates, and various hormonal levels including catecholamines and atrial natriuretic factor will also be obtained. The central venous catheter will be inserted immediately pre-launch and monitored with heart rate and blood pressure in-flight until cardiac output, respiratory gas exchange and quantitative 2D echocardiography measurements can be performed. In-flight hemodynamic measurements will be repeated at rest and during submaximal exercise daily and also during maximal exercise midway through the flight to document the timecourse and extent of cardiovascular changes in the payload crew. Parallel studies are planned for the animals. In addition to measurements of right atrial and aortic pressures and cardiac output, a dorsal micro-circulatory chamber will allow determinations of changes in capillary and venular architecture and function in six of the rats. The techniques and findings from many of the SLS-1 and 2 supporting studies have already yielded significant information about circulatory regulation in patients with both hypo- and hypertension. The flight experiments themselves will provide new data to test the validity of both animal and human models currently used for simulating the fluid shifts of a micro-gravity environment. The development of effective countermeasures, not only for short and long duration space travellers, but also for Earth-bound medical patients can then be physiologically based on experimental data rather than anecdote.

Non-NASA Center↗

Development of a Sulfur Tolerant CHG Process [Abstract]

The goal of this project is to overcome CHG catalyst sulfur poisoning to enable commercially viable CHG processing of HTL aqueous waste streams with reasonable catalyst turn-over rates. If successful, several of the following objectives will be achieved. (1) Identification and confirmation of the efficacy of sulfur-tolerant catalyst for the conversion of soluble organics in HTL aqueous byproduct to methane or hydrogen. (2) Demonstration of long-term stability of sulfur tolerant catalysts. (3) Identification and exercise of a means to produce larger quantities of the promising catalyst (i.e., sufficient catalyst for a CHG system with a through put of 10 to 20 L/h of aqueous byproduct) (4) Demonstration of the technical feasibility of a novel sulfur removal process and approach for scale up and application.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Temporal Changes in Astronauts’ Muscle and Cardiorespiratory Physiology Before, During, and After Spaceflight

NASA’s planned space exploration missions will require astronauts to safely perform extravehicular activity (EVA) and to safely egress vehicles in a variety of landing scenarios. Prolonged exposure to spaceflight decreases cardiovascular and sensorimotor function, causes loss of bone mineral density, reduces muscle mass and strength, and ultimately diminishes tolerance for physical activity. Although exercise can help mitigate these spaceflight-induced physiological decrements, little is known regarding the time-course of changes in muscle and aerobic performance during spaceflight. Furthermore, these exercise countermeasures are not fully protective. For example, maximal aerobic capacity (VO2pk), lower body muscle cross-sectional area, and strength all decrease by about 10% to 15% after long-duration missions on the International Space Station (ISS). Future long-duration space missions beyond Low Earth Orbit will employ exploration vehicles with less robust exercise hardware and more constrained exercise capabilities (e.g., less operational volume, less active exercise time) than provided on the ISS. Thus, countermeasures will need to be optimized to protect crew health and performance on exploration-class missions lasting up to 3 years. This requires a more detailed understanding of the dynamic effects of spaceflight on human health and performance, the ability of exercise to protect against this deconditioning, and the interaction of exercise with interrelated factors like nutrition, sleep, and environmental conditions.

N.C. Strock↗

Temporal Changes in Astronauts’ Muscle and Cardiorespiratory Physiology Before, During, and After Spaceflight

NASA’s planned space exploration missions will require astronauts to safely perform extravehicular activity (EVA) and to safely egress vehicles in a variety of landing scenarios. Prolonged exposure to spaceflight decreases cardiovascular and sensorimotor function, causes loss of bone mineral density, reduces muscle mass and strength, and ultimately diminishes tolerance for physical activity. Although exercise can help mitigate these spaceflight-induced physiological decrements, little is known regarding the time-course of changes in muscle and aerobic performance during spaceflight. Furthermore, these exercise countermeasures are not fully protective. For example, maximal aerobic capacity (VO2pk), lower body muscle cross-sectional area, and strength all decrease by about 10% to 15% after long-duration missions on the International Space Station (ISS). Future long-duration space missions beyond Low Earth Orbit will employ exploration vehicles with less robust exercise hardware and more constrained exercise capabilities (e.g., less operational volume, less active exercise time) than provided on the ISS. Thus, countermeasures will need to be optimized to protect crew health and performance on exploration-class missions lasting up to 3 years. This requires a more detailed understanding of the dynamic effects of spaceflight on human health and performance, the ability of exercise to protect against this deconditioning, and the interaction of exercise with interrelated factors like nutrition, sleep, and environmental conditions.

N. Strock↗

Space Physiology Studies

Calculations suggest that exercise in space to date has lacked sufficient loads to maintain musculoskeletal mass. Lower body negative pressure (LBNP) produces a force at the feet equal to the product of the LBNP and body cross-sectional area at the waist. Supine exercise within 50-60 mm Hg LBNP improves tolerance to LBNP and produces forces similar to those occurring during upright posture on Earth. Thus, exercise within LBNP may help prevent deconditioning of astronauts by stressing tissues of the lower body in a manner similar to gravity and also, may provide a safe and effective alternative to centrifugation in terms of cost, mass, volume, and power usage. We hypothesize that supine treadmill exercise during LBNP at one body weight (50-60 mm Hg LBNP) will provide cardiovascular and musculoskeletal loads similar to those experienced while upright in lg. Also, daily supine treadmill running in a LBNP chamber will maintain aerobic fitness, orthostatic tolerance, and musculoskeletal structure and function during bed rest (simulated microgravity).

Hargens, A. R.↗

Human Physiological Responses to Cycle Ergometer Leg Exercise During +Gz Acceleration

Spaceflight and bed-rest deconditioning decrease maximal oxygen uptake (aerobic power), strength, endurance capacity, and orthostatic tolerance. In addition to extensive use of muscular exercise conditioning as a countermeasure for the reduction in aerobic power (VO(sub 2max)), stimuli from some form of +Gz acceleration conditioning may be necessary to attenuate the orthostatic intolerance component of this deconditioning. Hypothesis: There will be no significant difference in the physiological responses (oxygen uptake, heart rate, ventilation, or respiratory exchange ratio) during supine exercise with moderate +Gz acceleration.

Chou, J. L.↗

Issues on human acceleration tolerance after long-duration space flights

This report reviewed the literature on human tolerance to acceleration at 1 G and changes in tolerance after exposure to hypogravic fields. It was found that human tolerance decreased after exposure to hypokinetic and hypogravic fields, but the magnitude of such reduction ranged from 0 to 30 percent for plateau G forces and 30 to 70 percent for time tolerance on sustained G forces. A logistic regression model of the probability of individuals with 25 percent reduction in +Gz tolerance after 1 to 41 days of hypogravic exposures was constructed. The estimated values from the model showed a good correlation with the observed data. A brief review of the need for in-flight centrifuge during long-duration missions was also presented. Review of the available data showed that the use of countermeasures (such as anti-G suits, periodic acceleration, and exercise) reduced the decrement in acceleration tolerance after long-duration space flights. Areas of further research include quantification of the effect of countermeasures on tolerance, and methods to augment tolerance during and after exposures to hypogravic fields. Such data are essential for planning long-duration human missions.

Kumar, K. Vasantha↗

NASA'S Standard Measures During Bed Rest: Adaptations in the Cardiovascular System

Bed rest is a well-accepted analog of space flight that has been used extensively to investigate physiological adaptations in a larger number of subjects in a shorter amount of time than can be studied with space flight and without the confounding effects associated with normal mission operations. However, comparison across studies of different bed rest durations, between sexes, and between various countermeasure protocols have been hampered by dissimilarities in bed rest conditions, measurement protocols, and testing schedules. To address these concerns, NASA instituted standard bed rest conditions and standard measures for all physiological disciplines participating in studies conducted at the Flight Analogs Research Unit (FARU) at the University of Texas-Medical Branch. Investigators for individual studies employed their own targeted study protocols to address specific hypothesis-driven questions, but standard measures tests were conducted within these studies on a non-interference basis to maximize data availability while reducing the need to implement multiple bed rest studies to understand the effects of a specific countermeasure. When possible, bed rest standard measures protocols were similar to tests nominally used for medically-required measures or research protocols conducted before and after Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions. Specifically, bed rest standard measures for the cardiovascular system implemented before, during, and after bed rest at the FARU included plasma volume (carbon monoxide rebreathing), cardiac mass and function (2D, 3D and Doppler echocardiography), and orthostatic tolerance testing (15- or 30-minutes of 80 degree head-up tilt). Results to-date indicate that when countermeasures are not employed, plasma volume decreases and the incidence of presyncope during head-up tilt is more frequent even after short-duration bed rest while reductions in cardiac function and mass are progressive as bed rest duration increases. Additionally, while plasma volume loss can be corrected and cardiac mass can be prevented with properly applied countermeasures, orthostatic tolerance is more difficult to protect when supine exercise is the only countermeasure. Similar results have been observed after space flight. Plasma volume, cardiac chamber volume, and orthostatic tolerance recover relatively quickly with resumption of ambulation and normal activity levels after bed rest but restoration of cardiac mass is prolonged.

Lee, Stuart M. C.↗

A performance assessment of a byzantine resilient fault-tolerant computer

This report presents the results of a performance analysis of a quad-redundant Fault-Tolerant Processor (FTP). The FTP is a computing system specifically designed for applications where very high reliability is required. Examples of such applications are flight control systems, nuclear power systems, and spacecraft control systems. The FTP performance was analyzed in a hierarchical manner encompassing the hardware, the operating system, and the application. At the hardware level, the hardware organization and design was assessed in relation to system throughput and response. Analysis at the operating system level revealed that the scheduler took only 3.2 percent of each 40ms frame, while the redundancy management software took 10.4 percent. The application level performance was analyzed via a synthetic workload and a representative flight control model. The estimated throughput for this application was found to be 317.6 KIPS if not exercising the voter. Exercising the voter to ensure fault tolerance will diminish this number linearly as the number of votes is increased. This performance analysis method was proven effective by uncovering undesirable behavior and anomalies in the FTP system.

Young, Steven D.↗

Specialized physiological studies in support of manned space flight

The effects of a diuretic (Lasix) induced dehydration on the cardiovascular and hematological responses to lower body negative pressure (LBNP) were analyzed and compared to previous observations on dehydration following exercise in the heat. During LBNP runs the subjects were monitored for changes in blood volume, heart rate, blood pressure, and variations in the volume of the left calf. It was concluded that Lasix dehydration produced a depletion of the body electrolytes at the expense of both the plasma and extravascular compartments. Striking differences were found between those subjects who were physically active (Runners: R) and those who did not engage in any regular physical activity (Non-runners: NR). Tolerance to LBNP (Torr x min) was significantly lower in the R's than the NR's before and after dehydration, however the R's lost more of their tolerance after dehydration with Lasix than after exercise in the heat for about the same fluid loss. The opposite was true for the NR's. Two factors appear to be responsible for the lower LBNP tolerance in R's: parasympathetic inhibition of cardiac activity during LBNP and a greater propensity to pool blood in the lower extremities.

Luft, U. C.↗