The effect of long-term confinement and the efficacy of exercise countermeasures on muscle strength during a simulated mission to Mars: data from the Mars500 study

Abstract

BackgroundIsolation and long duration spaceflight are associated with musculoskeletal deconditioning. Mars500 was a unique, high-fidelity analogue of the psychological challenges of a 520-day manned mission to Mars. We aimed to explore the effect of musculoskeletal deconditioning on three outcome measures: (1) if lower limb muscle strength was reduced during the 520-day isolation; (2) if type I or II muscle fibres were differentially affected; and (3) whether any 70-day exercise interventions prevented any isolation-induced loss of strength.MethodsSix healthy male subjects (mean ± SEM) (34 ± 3 years; 1.76 ± 0.02 metres; 83.7 ± 4.8 kg) provided written, informed consent to participate. The subjects’ maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) was assessed isometrically in the calf (predominantly type I fibres), and maximal voluntary isokinetic force (MVIF) was assessed in the quadriceps/hamstrings (predominantly type II fibres) at 0.2 and 0.4 ms−1 using the Multifunctional Dynamometer for Space (MDS) at 35-day intervals throughout Mars500. Exercise interventions were completed 3–7 days/week throughout the 520-day isolation in a counterbalanced design excluding 142–177 days (rest period) and 251–284 days (simulated Mars landing). Exercise interventions included motorized treadmill running, non-motorized treadmill running, cycle ergometry, elastomer-based resistance exercise, whole-body vibration (WBV), and resistance exercise using MDS.ResultsCalf MVC did not reduce across the 520-day isolation and MDS increased strength by 18% compared to before that of 70-day exercise intervention. In contrast, there was a significant bilateral loss of MVIF across the 520 days at both 0.2 ms−1 (R 2 = 0.53; P = 0.001) and 0.4 ms−1 (0.4 ms−1; R 2 = 0.42; P = 0.007). WBV (+ 3.7 and 8.8%) and MDS (+ 4.9 and 5.2%) afforded the best protection against isolation-induced loss of MVIF, although MDS was the only intervention to prevent bilateral loss of calf MVC and leg MVIF at 0.2 and 0.4 ms−1.ConclusionsMars500 induced significant loss of quadriceps/hamstrings MVIF but not calf MVC. Collectively, these data suggest that muscles with predominantly type I fibres were affected less by isolation compared to type II dominant muscles. MDS and WBV afforded the best protection against isolation-induced loss of strength and thus may have virtue in exploration class missions.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40798-017-0107-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Body composition and metabolic changes during a 520-day mission simulation to Mars

“…A modest derangement of FPG was observed also in the 105-day simulated Mars mission [8], but in this situation coninement produced an FPG increase during the irst 5 weeks without indications of development of insulin resistance, probably because the observation time was too short to elicit such phenomenon in young healthy subjects. Interestingly, some contribution to insulin resistance may also derive from skeletal muscle changes, which have recently been described in the participants to the Mars-500 experiment [5]. Moreover, some degree of insulin resistance seems a common feature of conditions comparable to the 520-day isolation/coninement, such as, for example, people living in polar regions [7].…”

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“…Physiological decline occurs despite participation in exercise countermeasures, which are a potent stimulus to promote musculoskeletal and cardiovascular adaptation (Trappe et al , 2009 ) and optimal immune function (Simpson et al , 2015 ) on Earth. While vestibular adaptations take place in the first days after transition to the microgravity environment, decline in musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, and immune systems can worsen with missions of greater duration (Fitts et al , 2010 ; Strollo et al , 2018 ), potentially limiting our capacity for interplanetary missions such as to Mars (Gaffney et al , 2017 ).…”