Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise

Baba, Shahid; Smith, Ted; Hellmann, Jason; Bhatnagar, Aruni; Carter, Kathy; Vanhoover, Alexandria; Caruso, John

doi:10.3390/nu12082400

Open AccessArticle

Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise

by

Shahid Baba

^1,2,

Ted Smith

¹

,

Jason Hellmann

^1,2,

Aruni Bhatnagar

¹,

Kathy Carter

³,

Alexandria Vanhoover

⁴ and

John Caruso

^4,*

¹

Envirome Institute, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40208, USA

²

Diabetes and Obesity Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA

³

Central State University, Wilberforce, OH 45384, USA

⁴

Exercise Physiology Program, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40208, USA

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nutrients 2020, 12(8), 2400; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082400

Submission received: 12 June 2020 / Revised: 3 August 2020 / Accepted: 6 August 2020 / Published: 11 August 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition for Human Health, Performance and Recovery)

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Abstract

Immune system dysregulation is among the many adverse effects incurred by astronauts during space flights. Omega-3 fatty acids, β-alanine, and carnosine are among the many nutrients that contribute to immune system health. For space flight, crewmembers are prescribed a diet with a macronutrient composition of 55% carbohydrate, 30% fat, and 15% protein. To quantify omega-3 fatty acid, β-alanine and carnosine intakes from such a diet, and to examine each nutrient’s impact on exercise performance, 21 participants adhered to the aforementioned macronutrient ratio for 14 days which was immediately followed by a workout performed on gravity-independent resistive exercise hardware. Results included daily omega-3 fatty acid intakes below the suggested dietary intake. Daily omega-3 fatty acid, β-alanine and carnosine intakes each correlated with non-significant amounts of variance from the workout’s volume of work. Given the nutritional requirements to maintain immune system function and the demands of in-flight exercise countermeasures for missions of increasingly longer durations current results, in combination with previously published works, imply in-flight supplementation may be a prudent approach to help address the physiological and mental challenges incurred by astronauts on future space flights.

Keywords: immune system; microgravity; ergogenic; nutrition

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MDPI and ACS Style

Baba, S.; Smith, T.; Hellmann, J.; Bhatnagar, A.; Carter, K.; Vanhoover, A.; Caruso, J. Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise. Nutrients 2020, 12, 2400. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082400

AMA Style

Baba S, Smith T, Hellmann J, Bhatnagar A, Carter K, Vanhoover A, Caruso J. Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise. Nutrients. 2020; 12(8):2400. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082400

Chicago/Turabian Style

Baba, Shahid, Ted Smith, Jason Hellmann, Aruni Bhatnagar, Kathy Carter, Alexandria Vanhoover, and John Caruso. 2020. "Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise" Nutrients 12, no. 8: 2400. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082400

APA Style

Baba, S., Smith, T., Hellmann, J., Bhatnagar, A., Carter, K., Vanhoover, A., & Caruso, J. (2020). Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise. Nutrients, 12(8), 2400. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082400

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Space Flight Diet-Induced Deficiency and Response to Gravity-Free Resistive Exercise

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