Postural Muscle Atrophy Prevention and Recovery and Bone Remodeling through High Frequency Proprioception for Astronauts
- Paper number
IAC-07-A1.2.05
- Author
Prof. Dario Riva, International Society of Proprioception and Posture, Italy
- Coauthor
Prof. Franco Rossitto, National Institute for Astrophysics, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Luciano Battocchio, International Society of Proprioception and Posture, Italy
- Year
2007
- Abstract
INTRODUCTION. In space bone loss can reach up to 1% per month, even if the most active current countermeasures are being applied. Muscle atrophy and osteoporosis during space flights are related to the absence of load and instability. LOAD AND INSTABILITY. Coupling load and instability is the required condition to generate high frequency (HF) proprioceptive flows. These signals feed muscle trophism and generate reflex muscle forces that acting together with the compressive load allow a positive remodeling of the bearing bones, even in absence of gravity. In fact an adequate mechanical stress is necessary to activate bone formation. The indispensable actors to counteract muscle atrophy and osteoporosis are then load and instability. In fact most HF proprioceptive signals arise from muscle spindles, activated by compressive load and macro/microinstability. PROPRIOCEPTIVE ACTIVATION. During a parabolic flight an electronic system (Delos Postural Proprioceptive System), composed of a rocking board, a postural reader and a bungee-cord loading apparatus was able to create, in microgravity conditions, a HF postural instability comparable to that reachable on the Earth. Tracking the subject to real time visual signals, in single stance on a rocking board, it is necessary to obtain instability situations at high frequency. These real time visual signals (showing the rolling of the rocking board) track the control systems of the subject, increasing the frequency of postural situations to be managed. In that parabolic flight the bungee-cord loading apparatus allowed the subject to manage the 81.5% body weight load (100% could be easily exceeded). In this way the rising flow of proprioceptive signals activates the reflex contraction of postural and steering muscles improving muscular trophism. A preliminary weekly schedule of training program on the Earth and in space is suggested. COMPARISON WITH A PATHOLOGICAL MUSCLE ATROPHY. The effectiveness of HF proprioceptive flows is confirmed by the improvements in walking capacity, even in pathologies, like Multiple Sclerosis, where the nervous fibers are not able to deliver all these signals. CONCLUSIONS. On earth or in space it is indispensable to create HF postural instability and consequent massive proprioceptive flows to feed the muscle trophism and continuously reprogram the functional level of the antigravity movements. The HF variations of load and strain applied to the bearing bones contribute to their remodeling. The possibility of generating HF proprioceptive flows represents a promising countermeasure for the prevention and recovery of muscle atrophy and osteoporosis for astronauts.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
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