Lumbar muscle atrophy and increased relative intramuscular lipid concentration are not mitigated by daily artificial gravity after 60-day head-down tilt bed rest
Enrico De Martino, Julie A. Hides, James M. Elliott, Mark A. Hoggarth, Jochen Zange, Kirsty Lindsay, Dorothée Debuse, Andrew Winnard, David Beard, Jonathan Cook, Sauro E. Salomoni, Tobias Weber, Jonathan Scott, Paul W. Hodges, Nick Caplan
Abstract
This study presents novel insights into the morphological adaptations occurring in the lumbar spine after 60-day head-down bed rest and the potential role of artificial gravity (AG) to mitigate them. Results demonstrated no protective effect of AG protocols used in this study. In atrophied paraspinal muscles, the ratio of lipids versus intramuscular water increased in the postural lumbar muscles, which could impair muscle function during upright standing. These findings have relevance for future space explorations.