SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2021
Effects of Spaceflight on Musculoskeletal Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Considerations for Interplanetary Travel.
Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 35 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
35 citing papers in PubMed, 72 citations in OpenAlex.
- Jumping on the moon as a potential exercise countermeasure.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- Isometric training at longer muscle-tendon complex lengths: A potential countermeasure to impaired neuro-muscle-tendon function during space travel.Experimental physiology · 2026Review
- Jumping in simulated lunar gravity with blood flow restriction as a potential exercise countermeasure: The acute physiological effects.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- Development of and adherence to artificial gravity and resistive vibration exercises during 60 days of hypoxic 6° head-down tilt bed rest: BRAVE study.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- Article
- Advances and applications of organ-on-a-chip technology.Cell reports methods · 2026Review
- Spaceflight human optimization and performance: positioning astronauts in an operational framework to promote health, fitness, and mission readiness.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Review
- Spaceflight Standard Measures is a multidisciplinary study that systematically monitors risks to astronaut health and performance.NPJ microgravity · 2025Review
- Review
- Physical Activity Guidelines for Astronauts: An Immunological Perspective.Biomolecules · 2025Review
- Blood flow restriction training in microgravity: a review of multisystem physiological benefits and implementation challenges for long-duration space missions.NPJ microgravity · 2025Review
- Microgravity accelerates skeletal muscle degeneration: Functional and transcriptomic insights from an ISS muscle lab-on-chip model.Stem cell reports · 2025Article
- Effects of microgravity on neuromuscular control of the spine: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Physical and Psychological Burden of Bed Rest on Patients Following Free Flap Reconstruction of the Lower Limb: A Systematic Review and Possible Solutions.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Spaceflight alters host-gut microbiota interactions.NPJ biofilms and microbiomes · 2024Article
- Gut matters in microgravity: potential link of gut microbiota and its metabolites to cardiovascular and musculoskeletal well-being.Nutrition & metabolism · 2024Review
- Advancing insights into microgravity induced muscle changes using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism.NPJ microgravity · 2024Review
- Spaceflight induces changes in gene expression profiles linked to insulin and estrogen.Communications biology · 2024Article
- Collection of biospecimens from the inspiration4 mission establishes the standards for the space omics and medical atlas (SOMA).Nature communications · 2024Article
- Organs in orbit: how tissue chip technology benefits from microgravity, a perspective.Frontiers in lab on a chip technologies · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIf interplanetary travel is to be successful over the coming decades, it is essential that countermeasures to minimize deterioration of the musculoskeletal system are as effective as possible, given the increased duration of spaceflight associated with such missions. The aim of this review, therefore, is to determine the magnitude of deconditioning of the musculoskeletal system during prolonged spaceflight and recommend possible methods to enhance the existing countermeasures.
methodsA literature search was conducted using PubMed, Ovid and Scopus databases. 5541 studies were identified prior to the removal of duplicates and the application of the following inclusion criteria: (1) group means and standard deviations for pre- and post-spaceflight for measures of strength, muscle mass or bone density were reported (or provided by the corresponding author when requested via e-mail), (2) exercise-based countermeasures were included, (3) the population of the studies were human, (4) muscle function was assessed and (5) spaceflight rather than simulated spaceflight was used. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using a modified Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale for quality, with publication bias assessed using a failsafe N (Rosenthal method), and consistency of studies analysed using I
resultsA total of 11 studies were included in the meta-analyses. Heterogeneity of the completed meta-analyses was conducted revealing homogeneity for bone mineral density (BMD) and spinal muscle size (Tau
conclusionsCurrent exercise countermeasures result in small reductions in BMD during long-duration spaceflight. In contrast, such exercise protocols do not alleviate the reductions in muscle function or muscle size, which may be attributable to the low to moderate loads reported by crewmembers and the interference effect associated with concurrent training. It is recommended that higher-load resistance exercise and the use of high-intensity interval training should be investigated, to determine if such modifications to the reported training practices result in more effective countermeasures to the deleterious effect of long-duration spaceflight on the muscular system.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.