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In orbit around the Earth for almost 25 years, the International Space Station is a gigantic research laboratory which also concerns the study of the mechanisms by which the human body adapts to the conditions of space. Researches that can then have practical applications in Earth’s daily life.
The last, in chronological order, is the international project Nimas (Neuromuscular electrical stimulation to enhance the exercise benefits for muscle functions during spaceflight) which will be carried out during the NASA Space X Crew-7 mission, which arrived on the ISS International Space Station on 27 August, with the aim of evaluating whether neuromuscular electrical stimulation could be a useful tool for a better adaptation of the human body in space. It is coordinated by Alessandra Bosutti, from the Department of Life Sciences of the University of Trieste.
“Exposure to microgravity during spaceflight – says the university, explaining the premises of the project – leads to substantial adaptation processes in the musculoskeletal system of astronauts, characterized by loss of muscle mass and decline in exercise capacity”.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (Nmes) could hold promise, the university adds, for enhancing the effects of in-flight training and for reducing the time required for daily exercise. According to the university, “the results of the study could be applied in future low-gravity habitats on the Moon, or later on Mars, and will also have important effects on Earth for elderly patients or patients with reduced mobility”.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) – a non-invasive method often combined with traditional physical exercise which, through the use of electrodes positioned on the skin in correspondence with the muscle to be activated, simulates the nerve impulse generated by the brain – in combination with aerobic and resistance activities, could in fact not only improve muscle function but also allow the use of smaller and lighter equipment, thus reducing load and overall weight on board.