[ad_1]
Surviving in weightlessness weighs heavily on the human body. According to new research, astronauts should not only exercise regularly, but also consider taking testosterone injections.
In a NASA-funded project, 24 guys were sentenced to bed in 70 days. It may seem nice and relaxing at first, but sitting and doing nothing all day weakens the muscles and, over time, they die down. This is a problem for those living in the International Space Station and for anyone who hopes to float among the stars for long periods.
While space agencies plan to send people to the moon or Mars, muscle atrophy is at the top of their agenda. For the moment, NASA astronauts have been ordered to exercise every day for two hours. They have to run, ride a bike and lift weights. But they should also consider injecting testosterone as well, according to an article published Thursday in PLOS One.
For this last experiment, the two dozen men were divided into three groups. One team received testosterone injections and had to do some exercise, the second lot received placebos and also had to do some exercise, while the third group was fed with placebos and did not have to do any exercise. Researchers from the medical branch of the University of Texas (UTMB) in the United States also cut some leg muscle from each participant before, during, and after the experiments to be analyzed.
"The study allowed us to identify biomarkers predicting the vulnerability of each individual to the decline in muscle function and the effectiveness of different hormonal and exercise treatments that can combat "atrophy," said Randall Urban, lead author of the article and a professor in the department of internal medicine at the UTMB.
The guys in the first group who regularly received testosterone injections in addition to a regulated exercise regimen had changes in their muscle proteins that contributed to more muscle growth than the second group that was doing. 39, exercise alone. Unsurprisingly, the third team that stayed in bed all day recorded the largest muscle losses.
This may seem obvious, but it is possible that testosterone had no effect. Well yes. Bam. It's science.
"The unique knowledge we have gained about muscle protein during prolonged bed rest may one day be used to predict changes in muscle mass or muscle strength in various situations, and then develop a personalized exercise program. and hormonal countermeasures, "said Edgar Lichar, Dillon, senior. author of the study and assistant professor at the UTMB.
Astronauts may soon have their own hormonal treatment programs and exercise programs tailored to their own body to minimize muscle atrophy in the future. We dread to think about what to fiddle with needles in space. ®
[ad_2]
Source link