As part of her εpsilon mission, ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot is contributing to Sarcolab-3, a study investigating how prolonged exposure to microgravity affects muscles, tendons and sensorimotor control.
Calf muscle fitted with sensors for the Sarcolab baseline data collection
In weightlessness, muscles no longer have to work against gravity to support the body. As a result, even with daily exercise, astronauts experience losses in muscle mass and strength, as well as changes in the way their muscles and tendons function. After returning to Earth, these physical adaptations can also affect balance, movement and coordination.
Sarcolab-3 examines these changes by assessing muscle volume and architecture, muscle strength and power, tendon stiffness, and how muscles are activated and controlled by the nervous system, including reflex responses, before and after spaceflight. Together, these measurements provide a comprehensive picture of how the neuromuscular system responds to life in weightlessness and readapts upon return to Earth.
By exposing astronauts to a unique and well-defined unloading environment, spaceflight provides an unparalleled opportunity to study muscle and neuromuscular adaptation. Because these changes begin reversing soon after landing, post-flight measurements are carried out as early as possible. In Sophie's case, the first assessments took place at the physiology laboratory of the DLR Institute of Aerospace Medicine within days of her return to the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, allowing researchers to capture the initial phase of recovery.
The findings could help improve exercise and rehabilitation programmes for future astronauts. They may also benefit people on Earth by advancing our understanding of muscle loss associated with ageing, prolonged bed rest, injury and other conditions involving reduced physical activity.
Sarcolab-3 is an ESA experiment involving an international research team from institutions across Germany, Italy, Switzerland and the United States.
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