Canadian Astronaut Thirsk

In space, astronauts do not have to support themselves against gravity, and this causes muscles to atrophy from disuse. As a result, muscle size decreases and force of contraction weakens. This is particularly seen in weight-bearing muscles, such as muscles in the legs and low back, which regularly work against gravity on Earth, but are unloaded in space. By exercising daily, astronauts are able to mitigate some of the effects of microgravity on their muscles. For example, by performing load-bearing, resistive exercises on the advanced resistive exercise device (aRED), astronauts promote maintenance of skeletal muscle mass. However, even regular exercise does not completely prevent the harmful effects of microgravity on muscles.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• space
• shuttle
• astronaut
• Canadian
• Thirsk