An academic study led by astronauts has revealed the devastating effects of space travel on the human skeleton.
The study showed that astronauts suffered “significant” bone loss during six-month spaceflights – equivalent to about two decades on Earth.
Only about half of the bone loss was restored a year after the return — raising concerns about future missions to Mars and the Moon.
Longer space missions resulted in increased bone loss and decreased likelihood of recovery.
Bone loss occurs due to the lack of gravity in space, where Earth’s normally weight-bearing bones are weightless.
The study was conducted on 17 astronauts – 14 men and three women with an average age of 47 – who flew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) over the past seven years.
The crew is from the US space agency NASA, the Canadian and European space agencies and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
More about the International Space Station
They worked with a research team led by University of Calgary professor Lee Gable for a year after returning to Earth.
Nine crew members suffered permanent loss of bone mineral density after spending between four and seven months on space missions.
“Astronauts suffered significant bone loss during six-month spaceflights—a loss we would expect to see in older people over two decades on Earth—and they recovered only about half of that loss after a year back on Earth,” Professor Gabel said of research published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Image: The study raised concerns about future trips to Mars. Photo: CNSA/REUTERS
“We know that astronauts lose bone during long space flights.
“What’s new about this study is that we followed the astronauts a year after their space journey to find out if and how the bone regenerates.”
Space agencies should improve countermeasures, such as exercise and nutrition, in an attempt to prevent bone loss, Professor Gabel warned.
In-flight exercise, including resistance training on the ISS, proved critical in preventing bone and muscle loss, the study found.
Astronauts who performed more deadlifts compared to their normal exercise routines on Earth were more likely to repair their bones after a mission.
Astronauts lost an average of 2.1% less bone density in the lower leg, tibia, and 1.3% less bone strength.
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1:14 A NASA astronaut has returned to Earth after a record 355 days in space.
“During spaceflight, the fine bone structures become thinner and eventually some of the bone rods become disconnected from each other,” Professor Gabel said.
“After the astronaut returns to Earth, the remaining bone ligaments can thicken and strengthen, but those that have broken down in space cannot be repaired, so the astronaut’s overall bone structure is permanently altered.”
The study also found that the cardiovascular system is also affected by space travel.
“Without gravity pulling blood to our legs, astronauts experience a fluid shift that causes more blood to pool in the upper body,” Professor Gabel said. “It can affect the cardiovascular system and vision.
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Radiation is also a problem, as astronauts face more sun exposure and an increased risk of cancer the further they travel from Earth.
Professor Gabel added: “There is much we still do not know about how microgravity affects human health, particularly on space missions longer than six months, and on the long-term health consequences.”
“We’re really hoping that bone loss will eventually pick up on longer missions, that people will stop losing bone, but we don’t know.”
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