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Increased core body temperature in astronauts during long-duration space missions
Alexander C Stahn1,2, Andreas Werner3, Oliver Opatz1
1Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Institute of Physiology, Center for Space Medicine and Extreme Environments, CharitéCrossOver (CCO), Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
Scientific Reports
|November 25, 2017
Summary
Astronauts experience higher core body temperature (CBT) during exercise in space. Long-duration spaceflight also leads to a sustained increase in resting CBT, impacting health and performance.
Area of Science:
- Human physiology
- Space medicine
- Thermoregulation
Background:
- Human core body temperature (CBT) is tightly regulated.
- Terrestrial factors affecting CBT are well-studied.
- Effects of weightlessness on human thermoregulation remain unclear, especially during long-duration spaceflight.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the impact of long-duration spaceflight on human thermoregulation.
- Assess changes in CBT at rest and during exercise in astronauts.
Main Methods:
- Monitoring astronaut core body temperature (CBT) during rest and exercise.
- Analyzing physiological markers, including anti-inflammatory proteins.
Main Results:
- Core body temperature (CBT) rises higher and faster during exercise in space compared to Earth.
- A sustained increase in resting CBT (approx. 1°C) was observed over 2.5 months.
- This increase was linked to elevated levels of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist.
Conclusions:
- Long-duration spaceflight alters human thermoregulation, affecting both resting and exercise states.
- Elevated CBT poses risks to astronaut health, cognitive function, and performance.
- Findings challenge assumptions about the human thermoregulatory set point and adaptability to environmental changes.
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