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Article: Aging Studies
- Article from:
- Space Sciences
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Aging Studies
Soon after entry into space, physical changes occur within the human body, and these changes become more severe and diverse as flight duration increases. When in space, humans experience early signs of a decrease in blood volume and red cell mass, aerobic capacity, endurance, strength, and muscle mass. Moreover, there is a reduction of bone density in the lower limbs, hips, and spine, and in the absorption of calcium through the gut. Visual-spatial orientation and eye-hand coordination are also affected.
When humans return to Earth's gravity, this reduction in physical fitness manifests itself through the body's inability to maintain the blood pressure control necessary to ...