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The Key Role of Nutrition in Human Space Flight

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The Key Role of Nutrition in Human Space Flight Space nutrition: the key role of neurosensory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, nutrition in human space flight circadian rhythms, and musculoskeletal Catalano Enrico1 physiology. Psychosocial aspects of nutrition are also important for more 1Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM), productive missions and crew morale. Via Giuseppe Giusti, 9, 50121 Firenze (FI), Research conducted to determine the impact Italy. e-mail: [email protected] of spaceflight on human physiology and subsequent nutritional requirements will also have direct and indirect applications in Earth- Corresponding author based nutrition research. Cumulative Catalano Enrico nutritional research over the past five decades Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la has resulted in the current nutritional Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM), requirements for astronauts. Realization of the Via Giuseppe Giusti, 9, 50121 Firenze (FI), Italy. e-mail: [email protected] full role of nutrition during spaceflight is critical for the success of extended-duration missions. Long-duration missions will require quantitation of nutrient requirements for Abstract maintenance of health and protection against the effects of microgravity. From the basic impact of nutrient intake on health maintenance to the psychosocial benefits of mealtime, great advancements in Keywords: Space nutrition, space flight, nutritional sciences for support of human effects of microgravity, astronauts, space food space travel have occurred over the past 50 years. Nutrition in space has many areas of 1. Introduction impact, including provision of required nutrients and maintenance of endocrine, Nutrition has played a critical role throughout immune, and musculoskeletal systems. It is the history of exploration, and space affected by environmental conditions such as exploration is no exception. The purpose of radiation, temperature, and atmospheric this article is to review our current knowledge pressures, and these are reviewed. Nutrition of space flight nutrition and food science. with respect to space flight is closely Humans have adapted well to space flight, interconnected with other life sciences and over the past 50 years, we have research disciplines including the study of substantially increased our understanding of hematology, immunology, as well as the various physiologic changes that occur 1 during and after space flight [1]. Nutrition in Realization of the full role of nutrition during space has many aspects of impact, including spaceflight is critical for the success of provision of required nutrients and extended-duration missions. Research maintenance of endocrine, immune, and conducted to determine the impact of musculoskeletal systems. However, the spaceflight on human physiology and underlying mechanisms for many of these subsequent nutritional requirements will also alterations remain unclear. This article have direct and indirect applications in Earth- describes prior and ongoing nutritional based nutrition research. research undertaken with the goal of assuring Understanding the nutritional requirements of human health and survival during space flight. space travelers and the role of nutrition in Nutrition and food science research overlap human adaptation to microgravity are as with or are integral to many other aspects of critical to crew safety and mission success as space medicine and physiology including any of the mechanical systems of the psychological health, sleep and circadian spacecraft itself. There are many facets to rhythmicity, taste and odor sensitivities, nutrition and health on Earth. Space flight radiation exposure, body fluid shifts, and introduces further complications, and many wound healing and to changes in the gaps remain in our knowledge of the musculoskeletal, neurosensory, relationships between nutrition and health in gastrointestinal, hematologic, and space that need to be filled before we can immunologic systems. Nutrient intake play a safely embark on “exploration” missions, that fundamental role from health maintenance to is, missions beyond low Earth orbit. At the the psychosocial benefits of mealtime, the surface of these unknowns is the need to role of nutrition in space is evident. Recent understand and define basic nutrient advances in genomics and proteomics are just requirements during extended stays in beginning to be applied in space biomedical microgravity. Beyond this lies the need to research, and it is likely that findings from characterize the role of nutrition in the such studies will be applicable to applied adaptation of physiological systems to human nutritional science. microgravity, and/or the impact of these Long-duration missions will require the right changes on nutrition. Additionally, amount of nutrient requirements for environmental impacts (including radiation, maintenance of health and protection against and spacecraft and spacesuit atmospheres) can the effects of microgravity. Psychosocial alter nutritional status and nutritional aspects of nutrition will also be important for requirements of space flight. For surface more productive missions and crew morale. missions (on, for example, the moon and 2 Mars), partial gravity may complicate the amounts. Weightlessness impacts almost situation further. Finally, many potential every system in the body, including those of targets for nutritional countermeasures exist, the bones, muscles, heart and blood vessels, where modified dietary intake may help to and nerves. There are many facets to counteract or mitigate some of the negative maintaining eucaloric intake during space effects of space flight on the human body. flight, including energy requirements; The US space life sciences research physiological changes in taste and satiety; community has developed a set of critical scheduling issues of allotting time for meal questions and a road map to clearly preparation, consumption, and cleanup; food emphasize research efforts that ultimately will quality; and even food availability [4]. Little reduce to humans the risk associated with research has been done on differences in fuel space travel and habitation [2]. Relevant components (protein, carbohydrate, fat) research has been conducted in space and on during space flight, or on cofactors (eg, the ground using animal models and human vitamins) of energy utilization. We review ground-based analogs [3]. Throughout the these here, highlighting what has been done five-decade history of human space flight, and potential areas of future research. nutrition and food research have been an integral component of various missions. 2.1 Space food Space food is a variety of food products, 2. Astronaut nutrition specially created and processed for Spacecraft, the space environment, and consumption by astronauts in outer space. The weightlessness itself all impact human food has specific requirements of providing physiology. Clean air, drinkable water, and balanced nutrition for individuals working in effective waste collection systems are space, while being easy and safe to store, required for maintaining a habitable prepare and consume in the machinery-filled environment. Adequate energy intake is low gravity environments of manned perhaps the single most important aspect of spacecraft [1]. In recent years, space food has astronaut nutrition [4]. This is not only been used by various nations engaging on because energy in and of itself is more space programs as a way to share and show important than other nutritional factors, but off their cultural identity and facilitate also because if enough food is consumed to intercultural communication. Although meet energy needs, then generally other astronauts consume a wide variety of foods nutrients will also be consumed in reasonable and beverages in space, the initial idea was to 3 supply astronauts with a formula diet that process called resorption) and formation of would supply all the needed vitamins and new bone tissue. Chemicals in the blood and nutrients [2]. With the long-duration missions urine can be measured to determine the aboard the International Space Station (ISS), relative amounts of bone resorption and it has become clear that more emphasis needs formation. During spaceflight, bone to be placed on improving human habitability. resorption increases significantly, and In fact, in the last years a new project: “The formation either remains unchanged or Vegetable Production System” (VEGGIE) decreases slightly [5]. The net effect of this was developed to provide a means to supply imbalance is a loss of bone mass. Bone loss, crews with a continuous source of fresh food especially in the legs, is increased during and a tool for relaxation and recreation. The spaceflight. This is most important on flights Veggie provides lighting and nutrient longer than thirty days, because the amount of delivery, but utilizes the cabin environment bone lost increases as the length of time in for temperature control and as a source of space increases. Weightlessness also increases carbon dioxide to promote growth [64]. excretion of calcium in the urine and the risk of forming kidney stones. Both of these The Vegetable Production System (Veggie) is conditions are related to bone loss [5]. a deployable plant growth unit capable of producing salad-type crops to provide the Calcium and bone metabolism remain key crew with a palatable, nutritious, and safe concerns for space travelers, and ground- source of fresh food and
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