Comparison of aerobic fitness and space motion sickness during the shuttle program

Space motion sickness (SMS) is an important problem for short duration space flight and 71% of STS crewmembers develop symptoms. The search for effective countermeasures and factors that correlate with sensitivity has been extensive. Recently, several investigators have linked aerobic fitness with motion sickness sensitivity in the 1-G or high-G environment. This paper compares the aerobic fitness of 125 Shuttle crewmembers with their SMS symptom category. Aerobic fitness data were obtained from the exercise tolerance test (ETT) conducted nearest the time of launch. SMS data were derived from the medical debrief summaries. Mean VO2max for crewmembers in four SMS categories (none, mild, moderate, severe) were 44.55, 44.08, 46.5, and 44.24 ml.kg-1.min-1, respectively. Scattergrams with linear regression analysis comparing aerobic fitness and SMS symptom classification are also presented. Correlation coefficients comparing SMS categories vs. aerobic fitness for men and women reveal no definite relationship between the two factors. Due to the subjective nature of the data, further studies are suggested to corroborate these findings.