Exercise Countermeasures for the Spine in Microgravity

Autores/as

  • Joselito V Sayson Ola Grimsby Institute
  • Alan R Hargens Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Diego

Palabras clave:

Biering-Sorensen Test, anti-gravity, muscle atrophy, mechanotransduction, low back pain, HNP

Resumen

Weakness and neuromuscular deconditioning of the anti-gravity spine muscles develop after 6-month missions in space. There is also a high incidence of herniated nucleus pulposus in cervical and lumbar discs with back pain post-flight. Prolonged microgravity reduces the physiological loading forces needed for spine homeostasis and may alter neuromuscular postural reflexes leading to injury upon return to 1G. Nine astronauts were tested using the Biering-Sorensen test to measure spine isometric endurance pre- and post-flight. The results show significant decrements in muscle isometric endurance and correlates with atrophy of the multifidus, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum and psoas, reduced cross-sectional area and functional cross-sectional area with MRI measurements. Current ISS exercise countermeasures appear to be insufficient in mitigating loss of spinal function due to lack of specifically designed exercises to address specific antigravity muscles. Intensity of resistance loading is proposed to be specific to the muscle isoform that needs the most optimal mechanotransduction using adjustable pulley resistance vectors in line or parallel to the target muscle fibre orientations. Pulley apparatus may be in the form of flywheel or pneumatic derived resistance. Since antigravity muscles are predominantly Type I muscle isoform, endurance and stability are the main functional qualities which would require higher repetitions in good form, moderate resistance, and multiple sets. This proposal is intended to define efficient type of spine exercises to counter the maladaptive effects from prolonged spaceflight and lead to accepted countermeasures. Supported by NASA Grants NNXlOAM18G and NNX13AM89G.

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Biografía del autor/a

Joselito V Sayson, Ola Grimsby Institute

Jojo Sayson received his Bachelors of Science in Physical Therapy from the Royal Pontifical University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines and his Masters Degree, and Doctorate in Orthopedic Manual Therapy through the Ola Grimsby Institute in San Diego, California. A Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists, Jojo is a national & international lecturer in its advanced concepts for science students, physical therapists, physicians, and dentists. He is also a Board of Director and Examiner for the Ola Grimsby Institute’s international doctoral candidates. Jojo is also a member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), American Academy of Physical Therapists (AAPT), the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), and the American Astronautical Society (AAS).

Jojo is a consultant/co-investigator (with Dr. Alan Hargens) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program at the University of California, San Diego with a NASA grant to examine the risks of spaceflight on spinal deconditioning in crew members of the International Space Station. Their study is titled “Risk of Intervertebral Disc Damage after Prolonged Space Flight”. He started as a volunteer scientist for NASA at the University of California, San Diego and his research together with NASA scientist Dr. Alan Hargens was published in the Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine journal in 2008. He had also served as a referee for the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research and Program Bureau Space Research and an assistant reviewer for Acta Astronautica Journal. Jojo is a commissioned Lieutenant Commander for the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary, Air Operations Wing, 103rd Squadron, a judge for the North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation (NANBF) as well as the Miss Illinois Scholarship Foundation/Miss America Organization, a bodybuilding choreographer, a professional model, Add to these, he writes poetry and is into philosophy as his diverse interests take him into many fields of learning and pursuits.

A practicing Christian, Jojo pursues humanitarian projects, foremost of which is his involvement in CHILD, a house of refuge for terminally-ill Filipino children with cancer. His current project is helping raise funds in the construction of an elementary school in Zambales, Philippines, while in the very recent past he had built and restocked libraries in far-flung islands of the archipelago.

In 1996, Jojo formed an informal group of superheroes who visit children in hospitals donned in superhero costumes confining these visits not only to American hospitals but even flying back home to the Philippines for such outreach. Because of all this, in 2006, Jojo was featured by ABS-CBN Global, The prime Filipino Channel in a documentary-drama as the Filipino Superhero for children and was as a special guest in 2010 on Pastor J Live television interview, Comcast Chicago Region Public Access Channels 4, 17, 19, & 35.

A recipient of numerous recognitions, Jojo takes special pride in his 2003 citation as one of eleven outstanding Filipino-Americans in the USA and in his 2006 University of Santo Tomas’ the Outstanding Thomasian Alumnus Award: Health-Allied, the highest and most prestigious award accorded by the university to its alumni who have excelled in their fields and lastly, in a recognition award when his name was included in the list of the 400 Outstanding Alumni for the Royal Pontifical University of Santo Tomas’ Quadricentennial (400 years) Celebration in the Republic of the Philippines last Jan. 28, 2011. Jojo is also a Motivational Speaker lecturing internationally on the topic of Human Factors in Motivation.

Alan R Hargens, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Diego

Dr. Hargens is Professor and Director of the Orthopaedic Clinical Physiology Lab at the University of California, San Diego. He previously served as Chief of the Space Physiology Branch and Space Station Project Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center and as Consulting Professor of Human Biology at Stanford University.  He teaches orthopaedic residents, medical students as well as graduate and undergraduate students at UCSD. His recent research concerns gravity effects on the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems of humans and animals.  He has edited eight books, published more than 300 peer-reviewed articles, 55 chapters and holds eight patents. Two of his students have gone on to become astronauts.  One flew on the Space Shuttle five times and was the first astronaut to climb to the top of Mt Everest. The other spent 6 months on the International Space Station, grew and ate vegetables in space and returned to Earth in Dec 2015. Dr Hargens also investigates exercise devices to maintain astronaut health and performance in space.  This research is translated to help post-surgical treatment and rehabilitation of orthopaedic patients, and to improve performance of athletes.

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Publicado

2019-09-18

Cómo citar

1.
Sayson JV, Hargens AR. Exercise Countermeasures for the Spine in Microgravity. Rev Cubana Inv Bioméd [Internet]. 18 de septiembre de 2019 [citado 31 de julio de 2025];38(3). Disponible en: https://revibiomedica.sld.cu/index.php/ibi/article/view/261

Número

Vol. 38 Núm. 3 (2019): Julio - Septiembre

Sección

COMUNICACIÓN BREVE

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