What’s Load Got to Do with It? : Challenges of Space Travel for Skeletal Muscle Function
Abstract
Space exploration represents one of humanity’s most ambitious endeavors, pushing the boundaries of technology, science, and human endurance. Among the many physiological challenges posed by space travel, its effects on skeletal muscle are among the most significant. The microgravity environment alters normal forces acting on muscles, leading to adaptations with profound consequences for astronauts' health and performance and similar issues for space tourists. What follows is meant to capture the breadth of topics associated with the physiological effects of space travel on skeletal muscle and the underlying mechanisms, distinctions in the profile of professional and casual space travelers, and preparations needed for short- and long-term human space exploration.
Keywords
Skeletal Muscle, Space Travel, Microgravity, Muscle Atrophy, Space Tourism.
Author Biography
Dr. Elisabeth R. Barton
Elisabeth Barton is Professor of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology at University of Florida, and Associate Dean for Faculty & Staff Affairs for the College of Health & Human Performance. She is a molecular physiologist with a primary focus on skeletal muscle regeneration and neuromuscular disease. Her work has broad applications including accelerating the resolution of muscle damage after acute injuries, altering the balance between damage and repair in chronic injury associated with neuromuscular disease, and enhancing the repair axis in aging muscle. She is a founding member of the UF InSpaBio Hub, which serves as a launching pad for creative and collaborative projects to address the challenges of space travel. Previous NASA funding sparked her interest in the load-sensing proteins in muscle critical for the maintenance of muscle mass on Earth. These may be key to developing strategies that counter the loss of mass and function in microgravity. In the meantime, Dr. Barton is happily keeping her muscles loaded while tending to her vegetable garden, orchard, giant dogs, and a herd of goats.