Effects of countermeasure-exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness and inhibitory control during 120 and 240 days of spaceflight simulation – results from two SIRIUS campaigns
- Paper number
IAC-22,A1,2,9,x71467
- Author
Dr. Fabian Möller, Germany, German Sports University Cologne
- Coauthor
Dr. Uwe Hoffmann, Germany, German Sports University Cologne
- Coauthor
Prof. Elena Fomina, Russian Federation, State Scientific Center of Russian Federation, Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences
- Coauthor
Dr. Uwe Drescher, Germany, German Sports University Cologne
- Coauthor
Dr. Fabian Steinberg, Germany, German Sports University Cologne
- Coauthor
Dr. Jessica Koschate, Germany, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg
- Year
2022
- Abstract
PURPOSE During long-term spaceflight and planetary missions, cardiorespiratory fitness and intact cognitive processing are the cornerstone for sufficient performance and well-being. Despite exercise countermeasure training these parameters are still reduced after sojourns in microgravity (Hoffmann et al., 2016; Jones et al., 2019). Terrestrial spaceflight analogs (i.e., isolation studies) enable the systematic long-term investigation of specific exercise programs on their feasibility, effectiveness, and time efficiency. Positive effects on cardiovascular capacities and kinetics have been reported for both continuous (CON) and interval (INT) aerobic treadmill exercise in the laboratory, but the isolation, reduced physical activity and low external stimuli during spaceflight might alter these findings. Cognitive performance is affected by these parameters and interacts with acute exercise (Abeln et al., 2015; Pontifex et al., 2019). We expected (I) negative effects of isolation on cognition (II) physical fitness improvements from exercise countermeasure with benefits for INT. METHODS During the 120-d-mission, six participants (34±6y , 3f) conducted eight weeks of CON, followed by eight weeks of INT aerobic treadmill exercise in a crossover design. Changes in cardiorespiratory fitness and cognition were assessed with a test protocol including pseudo-random work rate changes (PRBS; kinetics analysis), constant work rate phases (0, 3, 6, and 9km×h-1), and incremental exercise (peak-values) at Pre, mission day 9, 29, 57, 87, 117, and Post. HR (beat-to-beat) and V̇O2 (breath-by-breath) were measured . Eriksen Flanker tasks for inhibitory control were conducted during steady-state exercise. 240-d-mission: Countermeasures were extended by strength exercise and new INT exercise protocols on both active an passive treadmills. During Pre and Post, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS; cerebral blood flow and oxygenation) was applied to look into the interaction of exercise and cognition. Results from this ongoing mission will additionally be presented at the congress. RESULTS Peak values showed significant time effects and were generally lower during isolation for HR (P=0.025), V̇O2 (P=0.012), and respiratory exchange ratio (P=0.001). Analysis revealed accelerated HR kinetics during isolation following both INT (slightly greater effects) and CON exercise and significant time effects for HR and V̇O2 (both>0.05). No differences for inhibitory control could be observed. CONCLUSION Both INT and CON exercise proved sufficient to maintain and even elevate HR but not V̇O2 kinetics during isolation in the absence of microgravity. Reduced physical activity in the confined space and high pre and post stress were identified as detrimental factors. Final conclusions including data from the 240-d mission will be presented at the conference.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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