Nutrient supply during recent European missions

Area of Science:

• Space Medicine
• Human Physiology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Spaceflight poses risks to crew health due to altered nutrient intake.
• Previous missions revealed deficient energy, fluid, calcium, and excessive sodium intake.
• Microgravity stresses cardiovascular and bone metabolism, impacting bone mineral density.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of controlled nutrient intake on astronauts during spaceflight.
• To assess if Earth-based dietary reference intakes are adequate for long-term space missions.
• To investigate bone metabolism changes in response to nutritional interventions in microgravity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of nutrient intake data from previous European space missions (D-2, EuroMIR 94, EuroMIR 95).
• Implementation of controlled nutrient intake matching Earth-based dietary reference intakes for the MIR 97 mission.
• Monitoring of specific bone formation and resorption markers in astronauts.

Main Results:

• Astronauts exhibited deficient intake of energy, fluid, and calcium, with excessive sodium consumption.
• Bone formation markers declined, while bone resorption markers increased in the MIR 97 astronaut.
• The study suggests that Earth-based nutritional criteria may be inadequate for long-term space missions.

Conclusions:

• Inadequate nutrient intake during spaceflight negatively affects astronaut health, particularly bone metabolism.
• Current nutritional guidelines may need adjustment for extended space missions to mitigate health risks.
• Further research is crucial to optimize astronaut nutrition for long-duration space exploration.