Автор: Recently, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio returned from a mission in orbit. He spent 371 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to study how the human body changes in space, as reported by the BBC.
In the absence of gravitational force, the mass of muscles and bones quickly starts to decrease. Muscles in the back, neck, calves, and quadriceps can atrophy in conditions of weightlessness. On Earth, these muscles are responsible for supporting a person’s posture, but in microgravity, the body doesn’t require this.
After 2 weeks in space, muscle mass can decrease by 20%, and within 3-6 months, it can decrease by 30%. Astronauts can lose 1-2% of their bone mass every month, and up to 10% over 6 months. While bone mass does return on Earth, this process can take up to 4 years.
To combat the loss of bone and muscle mass, astronauts aboard the ISS engage in daily 2.5-hour training sessions on exercise equipment and take dietary supplements to strengthen their bones.
