Exercise for Exploration: An overview of the
Exercise Countermeasures Project
Jeffrey Ryder, PhD
Universities Space Research Association
NASA Exercise Countermeasures Project Scientist
Exercise Countermeasures
♦ A suite of exercise hardware and prescriptions with the goal of
preventing the physiological decrements that occur during
space flight / reduced gravity
• Muscle mass / strength
• Bone density
• Aerobic capacity
2
History of Exercise in Space - Apollo
♦
♦
No specific inflight exercise program was performed during Apollo missions
However, an exercise device, the ‘Exer-Genie’, was provided
• The ‘Exer-Genie’ was used Apollo 7, 8, 9, 12, and 16
• Crew typically used the device several times a day for periods of 15 to 30 minutes
3
History of Exercise in Space - Skylab
Skylab Cycle
Stationary Treadmill
4
History of Exercise in Space - Shuttle
Middeck Rower
EDO Treadmill
Cycle Ergometer
5
Current ISS Exercise Countermeasure Hardware
CEVIS
TVIS
iRED
6
The Next Generation of ISS Hardware
ARED in Use During Squat Exercise
T2 in Use During Parabolic Flight
600 lb capacity
12 mph capability
Instrumented with force plates
Instrumented with force plates
Vibration isolated
Vibration isolated
7
Human Research Program
Exploration Systems Mission Directorate
Constellation
Human Research Program
Manager – Dennis J. Grounds
Deputy Manager – Barbara Corbin
Program Scientist – John B. Charles, Ph.D.
Deputy Program Scientist – Craig E. Kundrot, Ph.D.
ISS Medical Project
Space Radiation
Human Health
Countermeasures
Exploration Medical
Capability
Behavioral Health
& Performance
Space Human Factors
& Habitability
Manager –
C. Haven, PE
Program Element
Scientist – C. Sams, Ph.D.
Program Element
Scientist – E. Powers, M.D.
Manager –
S. Krenek
Deputy Manager –
L. Simonsen, Ph.D.
Program Element
Scientist –
F. Cucinotta, Ph.D.
Manager. –
D. Francisco
Program Element
Scientist J Meck, Ph.D.
Manager –
D, Baumann
Deputy Manager –
M. Fitts
Program Element
Scientist –
D. Risin, M.D., Ph.D.
Program Element. Flight
Surgeon –
R. Scheuring, D. O.
Manager –
L. Leveton, Ph.D.
Program Element Flight
Surgeon – G. Beven, M.D.
Manager – D. Russo, Ph.D.
Program Element
Scientist –
B. Woolford
8
ECP Interfaces within HHC
HRP
Human
Human Health
Health Countermeasures
Countermeasures (HHC)
(HHC)
Program
Program Element
Element
Element
Element Manager
Manager –– Dave
Dave Francisco
Francisco
Element
Element Scientist
Scientist –– Jan
Jan Meck
Meck
EVA
EVA Physiology,
Physiology,
Systems
Systems
Flight
Flight Analogs
Analogs Project
Project
&
Performance
& Performance Project
Project
ECP
ECP
Digital
Digital Astronaut
Astronaut
Non-Exercise
Non-Exercise
Physiological
Physiological
Countermeasures
Countermeasures
9
ECP Team Members
JSC
GRC
JSC & GRC
Exercise Countermeasures Project (ECP)
ECP Project Manager-JSC/Linda Loerch
ECP Deputy Project Manager-GRC/Gail Perusek
ECP Project Scientist-USRA/Jeffrey Ryder
JSC BCC/Wyle Team
ECP Project Manager – Emma Hwang
ECP Project Scientists– Carwyn Sharp, Yamil Garcia
ECP Project Engineer Lead– Grant Schaffner
ECP Project Engineer - Renita Fincke
ECP Lead sZLS Operator – Joe Sinka
Administrative Support – Shannon Hartman
GRC Team – Primary Interfaces
GRC Program Manager – Marsha Nall
GRC Deputy PM-Gail Perusek
GRC Project Engineer-Kelly Gilkey
GRC/ZIN Technology Carlos Grodinsky,
Nathan Funk, Chris Sheehan
10
So where is the Exercise Physiology Lab?
Space Life Sciences Directorate
Space Medicine
Habitability and
Environmental Factors
Human Adaptations
and Countermeasures
Laboratories:
Astronaut Strength,
Conditioning,
Rehabilitation
Exercise Physiology
(implementation of
individual astronaut
exercise training)
Neuroscience
Cardiovascular
Others
11
Exercise Countermeasures Project and Exercise Laboratory
Performs
research funded
by grants
ECP
Identifies areas
of research and
funds grants
Conducts
research
within ECP
team
Performs
directed
research (e.g.
with ECP/EPSP)
Supports ISS
ops and FAP
testing
EXL
Conducts
directed
research (e.g.
through EXL)
Informs Space
Medicine of
recommendations
12
ECP Goals & Objectives
Exercise Countermeasures Project (ECP) will develop effective and
efficient prescriptions for exploration missions that meet medical,
vehicle, and habitat requirements
- Identify exercise countermeasures (prescriptions and devices) that protect crews to
levels specified in the NASA Space Flight Health Standards for Human
Performance
- Coordinate and obtain required expertise across NASA Centers, Academia,
International Partners, other Agencies, Industry
Partnered with NASA Glenn Research Center personnel/facilities
Project-funded studies will utilize experts from the National Space
Biomedical Research Institute and academia
ECP will provide a single focal point for all exploration exercise
countermeasure activities
13
Exercise Countermeasures Project (ECP)
Long Range Planned Activities and Deliverables
Flight
• Determine current status of in-flight and post-flight exercise performance capability and
goals/target areas for protection with the current in-flight exercise program (informs Space
Flight Health Standards)
• Utilize flight platforms to evaluate candidate exploration technologies/protocols (e.g.,
devices, prescriptions)
• Complete functional testing pre-post STS and ISS missions, to determine impact of
physiologic decrements on performance of anticipated lunar tasks
• Provide validated exercise system requirements and prescriptions for Constellation
vehicles/habitats
Ground
• Conduct studies to identify improved 0-g exercise prescriptions for mission performance
• Conduct task assessments to identify physiological requirements for lunar mission tasks
• Conduct analog studies to identify loss of performance during simulated lunar mission:
contribution of 1/6g, EVA and exercise countermeasures to physiologic variables
• Complete integrated studies with other candidate countermeasures (e.g. nutritional,
pharmaceuticals, etc.)
• Identify requirements for exercise devices, prescriptions, and monitoring needs for
Exploration
14
HRP IRP Gaps Being Addressed by ECP
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
M1.
What is the current state of knowledge regarding exercise performance?
M2/CV2. What is the current status of in-flight and post-flight exercise performance
capability? What are the goals/target areas for protection with the current in-flight exercise
program? Unknown in-flight and immediate post flight VO2max.
M3.
What tasks will be required for Lunar Sortie, Lunar Outpost and Mars?
M4.
What are the physiologic costs of those tasks?
M6.
Develop a standardized performance measure of readiness for those tasks.
M7.
Can the current in-flight performance be maintained with reduced exercise volume?
M8.
What is the minimum exercise regimen needed to maintain fitness levels for tasks?
M9.
What is the minimum set of equipment needed to maintain those fitness levels?
M10. What is the correct set of ground studies to optimize exercise for Lunar Outpost/Mars
♦
B15. Can exercise hardware and protocol be designed to provide loads necessary to stimulate
bone formation?
♦
SM7. Need for an integrated post-flight functional task performance test to be used on returning
ISS crew members. Develop and validate operational tests to define acceptable performance
ranges for standards and define the linkage between functional capabilities and physiological
changes. This task should include planetary EVA-like activities.
15
HRP IRP Gaps Being Addressed by ECP
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
M1.
What is the current state of knowledge regarding exercise performance?
M2/CV2. What is the current status of in-flight and post-flight exercise performance
capability? What are the goals/target areas for protection with the current in-flight exercise
program? Unknown in-flight and immediate post flight VO2max.
M3.
What tasks will be required for Lunar Sortie, Lunar Outpost and Mars?
M4.
What are the physiologic costs of those tasks?
M6.
Develop a standardized performance measure of readiness for those tasks.
M7.
Can the current in-flight performance be maintained with reduced exercise volume?
M8.
What is the minimum exercise regimen needed to maintain fitness levels for tasks?
M9.
What is the minimum set of equipment needed to maintain those fitness levels?
M10. What is the correct set of ground studies to optimize exercise for Lunar Outpost/Mars
♦
B15. Can exercise hardware and protocol be designed to provide loads necessary to stimulate
bone formation?
♦
SM7. Need for an integrated post-flight functional task performance test to be used on returning
ISS crew members. Develop and validate operational tests to define acceptable performance
ranges for standards and define the linkage between functional capabilities and physiological
changes. This task should include planetary EVA-like activities.
GAPS WITH STUDIES RECENTLY SELECTED FOR FLIGHT
(or SFD has been requested)
16
M2/CV2 - ISS VO2max Flight Evaluation
Background
• Inflight data from submaximal cycle ergometry tests
suggests that crewmembers’ aerobic capacity may
drop and subsequently recovers back to preflight
levels during long-duration exposure to microgravity
• On return to a 1-G environment, aerobic capacity is
estimated to decrease by 10% to 25% from preflight
levels.
• Actual aerobic capacity has never been determined
during or after long duration space flight.
Purpose / Impact
• Validate current method of VO2max estimation
• Define space normal physiology.
• Define current countermeasure effectiveness for
long duration flight / mars transit.
ESA Developed Portable Pulmonary
Function System (PPFS) to be used in support
of the ISS VO2max study
PI: Alan Moore, Exercise Physiology Laboratory
17
M2/CV2 - ISS VO2max Study Design
MR080L-PFE/PFEOUM Protocol
EPFE Protocol
400
180
160
140
300
WL (Watts)
WL (Watts)
120
100
80
60
200
100
40
20
0
0
0
5
10
15
20
25
Time (min)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Time (min)
Test Schedule:
Preflight: L-270, L-90, L-30 (contingency)
In-flight: FD15 and every 30 days thereafter
Post-flight: R+1, R+10 and R+30
18
B15: Can exercise hardware and protocol be designed to provide loads necessary
to stimulate bone formation: CSM Harness SDTO Cleveland Clinic/GRC
Waist and shoulder belt friction and
wrinkling causes tenderness, broken skin,
and scarring
Waist belt slips over hips at loads
approaching body weight, transferring the
majority of the load to the shoulders
Discomfort can result in lack of motivation
to exercise, altered gait, reduced Subject
Load Device loads during exercise (est.~
60% 1-g body weight average from ISS
crew).
Ultimate goal is to develop a more
comfortable harness that can be utilized at
higher loads.
PI: Gail Perusek GRC
19
Features of the Cleveland Clinic CSM Harness
“S”-shaped padded shoulder straps which
avoid sensitive regions of the neck and
shoulder while minimizing chest
compression
Use of materials that cause less bunching.
Subject self-adjustment of load distribution,
with the majority of the load applied to the
hips (70:30)
Waist belt with cupped and canted regions
to apply load to the iliac crests and lumbar
shelf – split padding feature – removable
lumbar padding
Load attached to multiple points and
transferred over the semi-rigid shell of the
waist belt for load distribution.
20
Harness Instrumentation
21
Harness Evaluation
Subject will use each harness for 16 consecutive sessions. 12 of 16 session
are according to normal TVIS use.
On the 4th, 8th, 12th and 16th exercise session a harness evaluation exercise
protocol will be used:
15 min at load of 60% of body weight (BW) at the normal routine speed
3 min at 60% BW – 3 mph
3 min at 60% BW – 6 mph
3 min at 90% BW – 3 mph
3 min at 90% BW – 6 mph
Loads will be recorded.
Subjective discomfort at neck, shoulders, back, hips and waist using a
modified Borg scale.
22
Operational Impact
The CSM harness is expected to be more comfortable to
crewmembers during exercise due to better load distribution and
reduced chafing.
Improved harness designs are expected to allow greater loading
during TVIS exercise. This may improve the health benefit of
treadmill exercise.
An understanding of the distribution of loads to he harness will
be valuable to continued efforts to improve harness technology
for crewmember use.
23
SM7 - STS/ISS Functional Task Test (FTT)
Goal: identify the key underlying physiological factors that contribute to
changes in performance of functional tests that are representative of
critical mission tasks for lunar and Mars operations
Torque
Generation
Approach: Astronauts will be tested on an integrated suite of functional and
physiological tests before and after short and long-duration space
flight.
This study will:
1)
identify the critical mission tasks that may be impacted by alterations in
physiological responses;
2)
map physiological changes to alterations in functional performance
and
3)
aid in the design of countermeasures that specifically target the
physiological systems responsible for impaired functional performance.
PI: Jacob Bloomberg, Neurosciences Laboratory
Ladder Climb
24
Functional Task Test (FTT)
25
Functional Task Tests
1) Seat Egress and Walk Test
Subjects will unbuckle a harness, get up
from a seat a complete an obstacle course.
Testing will occur with: 1) the seat upright
and 2) positioned with its back to the floor.
2) Recovery from Fall/Stand Test
Subjects will lie face down on a foam surface
and then stand up as quickly as possible and
then step on a solid floor and remain standing
for 3 minutes to test for orthostatic
intolerance.
3) Ladder Climb
Subjects will climb 40 rungs on a passive
treadmill ladder at a self-generated pace.
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Functional Task Tests
4) Torque Generation
Subjects will apply torque to a wheel assembly
(using Primus RT Testing System).
Two conditions:
1) Wheel fixed: Apply peak torque
2) Wheel is free to move with constant resistance
(50% of preflight peak).
5) Rock Translation
Subjects will pick up one of three weights (6, 10, 20
lbs) that have a handle to grip and carry the weight a
distance of 8 feet and place it in a receptacle
positioned at 20 inches above the floor. The three
weights will then be transferred to the initial
receptacle.
27
Functional Task Tests
6) Construction Activity Board
While standing subjects will perform a
variety of standard manual construction
and assembly tasks.
7) Jump Down
Subjects will jump from a platform
with a height of 30 cm onto a force
plate.
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Physiological Tests
Sensorimotor Tests
1)
Dynamic Posturography: Sensory
Organization Test 5 (SOT5),
maintaining balance on swayreferenced support surface with eyes
closed with and without head
movements.
2)
Fine Motor Control: Grooved
Pegboard Test.
3)
Treadmill Locomotion/Dynamic
Acuity: Walk on treadmill while
performing dynamic visual acuity test.
Cardiovascular Test
Plasma Volume Test: CO rebreathing method.
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Physiological Task Tests
Muscle Performance Tests
Lower-body
1) Maximal Isometric Force: Push against fixed footplate on leg press
machine.
2) Power: Push weight away as fast as possible on leg press machine.
3) Endurance: Push weight away 20 times in row on leg press machine.
4) Neuromuscular Drive: Brief, electrical muscle stimulus provided to thigh
muscle during isometric leg extension.
5) Force Control: Match leg force with a reference force displayed on a
computer screen during isometric leg extension.
Upper Body
1) Maximal Isometric Force: Push against fixed bar on a bench press
machine.
2) Power/Endurance: Push weight away 20 times on a bench press machine.
3) Muscle Force Control: Match isometric arm force with a reference force
displayed on a computer screen.
30
Test Schedule
Preflight 1: L-180
Shuttle
Full Test
ISS
Full Test
Preflight 2: L-60
Full Test
Full Test
Preflight 3: L-30
Full Test
Full Test
Postflight: R+0
Full Test
Postflight: R+1
Full Test
- Fine Motor
- Egress/Walk
- Recovery
Fall/Stand
Full Test
Postflight: R+6
Full Test
Full Test
Postflight: R+30
Full Test
Full Test
31
Strategy for ISS Exercise Countermeasures Research
FTT
ISS
VO2max
ISS Muscle
testing
ICV
Nutrition
Immune
Define Space Normal
DA modeling
Loading
Bed Rest
CM Evaluation and Validation
Exercise Rx
Optimization
Harness
SDTO
New
Treadmill
Bisphosphonates
ECP Activities
New
ARED
The Challenge of Going Beyond Low Earth Orbit
At a Premium:
Mass
Volume
- Stowage
- Habitable
Power
33
The Challenge of Going Beyond Low Earth Orbit
Exercise hardware for initial lunar
sorties will be limited to 20 lbs for
CEV and 2 pounds for Altair and will
not return from the lunar surface
34
Orion CEV Advanced Exercise Concepts
Objective
♦
Provide a 20 lbs exercise device with a resistive
capacity of 500 lbs for possible use aboard the
CEV.
Current Status
♦
Completion of CEV exercise device Trade Study
(Feb. ’08, Verification Plan and Engineering
Requirements Document (Jan. ’08).
♦
Pro/E models of CEV device are in progress.
Forward Work
♦
CEV Phase I exercise device Table Top in July ’08.
♦
Phase I device proof of concept testing to follow.
Glenn Research Center / Zin Technologies
35
The Challenge of Going Beyond Low Earth Orbit
Lunar rover and outpost habitats will allow for
more robust exercise hardware than available for
Orion CEV. However; exercise concepts will very
likely need to be smaller what is used on ISS.
36
Strategy for Lunar Exercise Countermeasures Research
Ability to perform CMT on the
Lunar Surface and Upon
Return to Earth
Lunar BR: 1/6g
protective?
Yes
No
Lunar BR: EVA
protective?
Yes
No
Development of exploration class
exercise hardware
EXERCISE Rx BASED ON:
State of Knowledge
Results from:
ISS Muscle Measures
ISS VO2max
FTT
DA Modeling
Requirement for
exercise hardware
Lunar BR: EVA +
Exercise Protective?
Yes
No
Lunar Bed Rest:
Improved / Additional
CM Protective?
No
Yes
FAP Lunar Analog Development
38
Strategy for Lunar Exercise Countermeasures Research
Ability to perform CMT on the
Lunar Surface and Upon
Return to Earth
Lunar BR: 1/6g
protective?
Yes
No
Lunar BR: EVA
protective?
Yes
No
Development of exploration class
exercise hardware
EXERCISE Rx BASED ON:
State of Knowledge
Results from:
ISS Muscle Measures
ISS VO2max
FTT
DA Modeling
Requirement for
exercise hardware
Lunar BR: EVA +
Exercise Protective?
Yes
No
Lunar Bed Rest:
Improved / Additional
CM Protective?
No
Yes
Standalone Zero Gravity Locomotion Simulator (sZLS)
A likely candidate component of lunar EVA
simulation: TBR by EPSP and ECP (GRC/JSC)
A useful countermeasure validation tool
40
Strategy for Lunar Exercise Countermeasures Research
Ability to perform CMT on the
Lunar Surface and Upon
Return to Earth
Lunar BR: 1/6g
protective?
Yes
No
Lunar BR: EVA
protective?
Yes
No
Development of exploration class
exercise hardware
EXERCISE Rx BASED ON:
State of Knowledge
Results from:
ISS Muscle Measures
ISS VO2max
FTT
DA Modeling
Requirement for
exercise hardware
Lunar BR: EVA +
Exercise Protective?
Yes
No
Lunar Bed Rest:
Improved / Additional
CM Protective?
No
Yes
42