The director of Ball State's Human Performance Lab is heading up a research project that measures the effects of lengthy space missions on women.
Scott Trappe will begin testing the effects of space flight in what seems like an unconventional method -- bedrest. Trappe said the lack of muscle activity caused by long periods of bedrest make it the best way to measure loss of muscle strength, which occurs after extended periods in zero gravity, as well.
"Strict bedrest mimics the effects of space flight," Trappe said. "So right now, to provide a future for long-term space flight, we're doing long-term bedrest studies so we can work out all the kinks in the exercise countermeasures here on Earth, and then take them into the space environment."
The main research currently being conducted is a 60-day bedrest study being conducted in a satellite research facility in Toulouse, France.
"The novel thing is that it's all female," Trappe said. "There has not been any long-term data on females to see if there's a gender issue."
The project takes 12 women and splits them into groups of four. One group will receive bedrest with a high protein diet, another will receive bedrest with exercise using modified equipment and a third will receive bedrest with no exercise.
"When I say 60 days of bed rest, you're [talking about not] getting up to use the restroom or anything," Trappe said. "These facilities are strictly designed to host bedrest studies. Scales, baths, showers, everything. You go to bed for 60 days, period."
With the first phase of research completed, the researchers are gearing up for a second round of testing in the fall. The results will then be compared to results from males who participated in the same testing process.
Much of this research is used to benefit astronauts who, after being exposed to zero gravity, feel the adverse effects of re-adapting to Earth's environment once they are back on solid ground. By comparing the results from these tests to results from muscle biopsies conducted on astronauts shortly after returning to Earth, researchers are able to determine the best countermeasures for the loss of strength.
The findings from the research are not only used in space applications, however. Trappe said one of the mainstays of the Human Performance Lab is the continuation of research on the health of older people.
"These two issues: health in space and health on Earth," Trappe said, "for us, they're intertwined.
"This population is an expanding population because we're living longer, and it's a huge burden on the health care industry. We need to figure out what the appropriate exercise countermeasures are for these people, and it's not as easy as you would think. You can't treat these people like gym-jockeys. Their goal isn't to get big and buff; it's to maintain independence."
James Pyle, assistant vice president for research in the Office of Academic Research and Sponsored Programs, sees the ability to work with organizations like NASA as a testament to the wealth of knowledge that Ball State has.
"I think we see more attention as our funding grows," Pyle said. "One of the things the university is meant to do is help the state of Indiana; we do that through research and the training of our students. All [these] are things that contribute to Indiana's advancement, and advancement comes from the brainpower of people."
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