It is proposed that the application of foot pressure can result in enhanced lower limb neuromuscular activation over the course of a long-duration spaceflight. If confirmed, a device that generates increased foot sensory input can be developed for use on the International Space Station as a countermeasure to neuromuscular degradation. In the present experiment, surface EMG was collected from six subjects during freefloating arm raises performed with or without foot pressure. Two subjects performed the experiment multiple times during their flight. The results indicate that foot pressure results in significantly increased magnitudes of lower limb neuromuscular activation when compared to movements performed without foot pressure. Furthermore, repeated application of pressure throughout a flight continues to produce enhanced neuromuscular activation without significant modification of the phasic activation features. These findings suggest that the development of a countermeasure utilizing foot pressure merits continued exploration.
Using foot pressure to maintain neuromuscular function during long-duration spaceflight
SPACE TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL FORUM - 2000 ; 2000 ; Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA)
AIP Conference Proceedings ; 504 , 1 ; 226-231
2000-01-19
6 pages
Conference paper
Electronic Resource
English
Using Foot Pressure to Maintain Neuromuscular Function during Long-Duration Spaceflight
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