Artificial gravity with ergometric exercise preserves the cardiac, but not cerebrovascular, functions during 4 days of head-down bed rest

Abstract

Cardiovascular and musculoskeletal deconditioning occurring in long-term spaceflight requires new strategies to counteract these adverse effects. We previously reported that a short-arm centrifuge produced artificial gravity (AG), together with ergometer, has an approving effect on promoting cardiovascular function. The current study sought to investigate whether the cardiac and cerebrovascular functions were maintained and improved using a strategy of AG combined with exercise training on cardiovascular function during 4-day head-down bed rest (HDBR). Twelve healthy male subjects were assigned to a control group (CONT, n=6) and an AG combined with ergometric exercise training group (CM, n=6). Simultaneously, cardiac pumping and systolic functions, cerebral blood flow were measured before, during, and after HDBR. The results showed that AG combined with ergometric exercise caused an increase trend of number of tolerance, however, there was no significant difference between the two groups. After 4-day HDBR in the CONT group, heart rate increased significantly (59±6 vs 66±7beats/min), while stroke volume (98±12 vs 68±13mL) and cardiac output (6±1 vs 4±1L/min) decreased significantly (p<0.05). All subjects had similar drops on cerebral vascular function. Volume regulating hormone aldosterone increased in both groups (by 119.9% in CONT group and 112.8% in the CM group), but only in the CONT group there were a significant changes (p<0.05). Angiotensin II was significantly increased by 140.5% after 4-day HDBR in the CONT group (p<0.05), while no significant changes were observed in the CM group. These results indicated that artificial gravity with ergometric exercise successfully eliminated changes induced by simulated weightlessness in heart rate, volume regulating hormones, and cardiac pumping function and partially maintained cardiac systolic function. Hence, a daily 1h alternating +1.0 and +2.0Gz with 40W exercise training appear to be an effective countermeasure against cardiac deconditioning.