The Effects of Whole Body Unloading on Physiological Function
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effects of whole body unloading on human skeletal muscle mass, sleep, cognition and physiological function.
IRAS ID
210074
Contact name
Ivana Rosenzweig
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 20 days
Research summary
This study is a collaboration between the GSK Human Performance Lab (GSK HPL), King’s College London, Centre of Human & Aerospace Physiological Sciences (KCL CHAPS), the Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre (Department of Neuroimaging) and the Sleep Disorders Centre at Guy’s Hospital.
The main purpose of the study is to evaluate the effects of a 7 day unloading period (simulating micro gravity) on muscle mass using three independent methods; two scanning techniques (magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)) and one that involves swallowing a capsule that contains a harmless chemical called creatine (D3-Creatine (D3-cr)) and then measuring its’ concentration in urine.
In order to induce muscle loss we require subjects to lie flat on their back on a water bed filled with water and salt (called hyper-buoyancy flotation (HBF)). As this situation is similar to that experienced in space we will also measure the effect of HBF on sleep, brain and physiological function – all things known to change in astronauts.
Fourteen male subjects (18-40 yrs) will be recruited to participate in the study that will require physiological testing before, during and following both 7 days of normal conditions and 7 days of HBF bed-rest. Each subject will be exposed to the same conditions and assessments over the study period. As we are expecting some loss of muscle, participants will be offered an exercise rehabilitation programme upon completion of HBF with self-monitored and/or guided sessions based on those provided by the Space Medicine Office of the European Space Agency to returning astronauts.
REC name
London - Stanmore Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0166
Date of REC Opinion
8 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion