ROOM
50
Astronautics
be left with reduced physiological functionality.
Unfortunately, remobilisation is started too late in
many cases and patients permanently lose their
functionality, independence and autonomy, leading
to increased risk of mortality (Singh et al., 2008).
Intervention combinations in older people
confined to bed could incorporate physical
exercise and/or nutrition. While there is some
evidence that physical activity is beneficial for
maintenance of both physical function and mental
health in older people (Olanrewaju et al., 2016),
there is limited literature that has examined the
effects of physical activity to counteract the
effects of bed-confinement.
Recent data generated from bedrest campaigns
related to space research suggest that resistive
vibration exercises can maintain muscle strength
and function. Even though these data were
obtained in young subjects confined to bedrest,
resistive vibration exercise could be of great value
in addressing the problems of deconditioning in
bed-confined older people. This illustrates how
data generated from ground-based analogues of
spaceflight could be used in geriatrics.
Nutrition
There is growing evidence that there is a
strong association between risk of frailty and
inadequate intake of food in elderly people
(Martone et al., 2013). Malnutrition results
in functional decline, increased morbidity,
preterm dependency, more frequent
ago the resistance exercise component of total in-
flight exercise has increased.
Could such physical activity programmes
carried out by astronauts in space be used
during bedrest immobilization in older people to
counteract deconditioning on Earth as well? Early
intervention in bed-confined older people is vital
as, without it, a rapid decline in muscle mass, bone
mass and functionality occurs (Singh et al., 2008).
Started early enough, re-mobilisation
interventions can overcome the decline of
physiological function, leading to complete
recovery. If intervention is started later, then
recovery is usually incomplete and patients can
A high protein
diet increases
lean tissue
mass and
muscle
strength
when it is
complemented
with resistive
training in
older women
Six degree head down
bedrest immobilisation in
an ESA facility.
ESA
ESA/Corvaja
ESA astronaut Thomas
Pesquet is carried to a
waiting helicopter after six
months in space. He
returned to Earth in June
2017, landing on the
steppe of Kazakhstan with
Russian commander Oleg
Novitsky.
