Exercise-Related Effects on Executive Functions During a Simulated Underwater Extravehicular Activity

Abstract

Objective Investigation of cognitive performance during extravehicular activities (EVAs) in a space-analog setting. Background EVAs performed by humans in microgravity on the International Space Station (ISS) call for high cognitive performance during upper-body workload. Higher cardiovascular demands interact with cognitive performance, but no knowledge exists about EVA’s special requirements. This study simulates EVA-training underwater to investigate its effects on the executive functions inhibition and switching. Method In a counterbalanced crossover design, 16 divers (age: 28 ± 2.4 years; eight females) performed two conditions (i.e., EVA vs. Inactivity [INACT]) in 3–5 m submersion (diving gear; not in a space-suit). EVA included 30 min of moderate-, followed by 30 min of high-intensity upper-body exercise intervals, paired with EVA-specific cognitive-motor tasks. INACT included no exercise in submersion and neutral buoyancy. Both conditions included cognitive testing at pre, mid (after the first 30 min), and post (after the second 30 min) on a tablet computer. Reaction times (RTs) and response accuracy (ACC) were calculated for both tasks. Results ACC was significantly lower during EVA compared with INACT for inhibition (post: p = .009) and switching (mid: p = .019) at post ( p = .005). RTs for inhibition were significantly faster during EVA ( p = .022; ηp 2 = 0.320). Conclusion Specific physical exercise, intensity, duration, and tasks performed during the EVA might differently affect the exercise-cognition interaction and need further investigation, especially for future long-term space travel. Application Future research might serve to improve mission success and safety for EVAs and long-term space travel.

Physiological and cognitive responses to hyperoxic exercise in full water submersion

“…Furthermore, high-intensity exercise might induce similar or even superior effects. Surprisingly, our findings showed no effects of moderate-intensity exercise, which contradicts earlier results from our group (Möller et al, 2021b). In the present work, RTs for inhibitory control were improved only after vigorous intensity (i.e., 75 % HRR).…”

Human Factors in Spaceflight: New Progress on a Long Journey

“…These studies provide measurement and predictive modeling techniques that will inform hardware and spacesuit designers among other vehicle design applications. Multiple research teams (Dalecki et al, 2023; Möller et al, 2023; Vu et al, 2023) made use of simulated, underwater environments to examine EVA concerns on the ground. Limitations of the human body in microgravity, and some potential moderators to observed changes, are explored in Möller and colleagues’ (2023) examination of exercise-related effects on brain function during a simulated EVA.…”

“…Multiple research teams (Dalecki et al, 2023; Möller et al, 2023; Vu et al, 2023) made use of simulated, underwater environments to examine EVA concerns on the ground. Limitations of the human body in microgravity, and some potential moderators to observed changes, are explored in Möller and colleagues’ (2023) examination of exercise-related effects on brain function during a simulated EVA. Dalecki and colleagues (2023) use water submersion to examine how individuals experience performance changes after manual tracking.…”

Rapid Dual-Task Decrements After a Brief Period of Manual Tracking in Simulated Weightlessness by Water Submersion

“…This training regime provides astronauts with a practical way to prepare for their space missions here on earth in a simulated, safe, and controlled environment, simulating certain characteristics of weightlessness (Bolender et al, 2006). In addition to astronauts, recreational and professional divers regularly perform or practice complex motor and cognitive skills under similar conditions in shallow water (Möller et al, 2021). Operational activities often include dual-task (DT) situations such as manually installing scientific instruments or controlling a drill or a spacecraft while simultaneously monitoring multiple devices, reacting to sudden changes in the environment, or receiving verbal or visual instructions from external sources (Manzey et al, 1995(Manzey et al, , 1998Paloski et al, 2008;Strangman et al, 2014).…”

“…Notably, many manual operations in extreme environments can be crucially time-sensitive and include brief, continuous high performance demands in challenging multi-task settings (Bolender et al, 2006; Möller et al, 2021). However, studying human performance during DT situations in shallow water submersion has not been a research focus yet, as assessing multiple tasks in a controlled, performance-related setting remains a challenge in this environment (Paloski et al, 2008).…”