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Spaceflight causes body calcium loss, not due to diet or exercise. Altered electromagnetic fields in space may be responsible, with induced electric fields exceeding those in terrestrial biological experiments.

Area of Science:

Space physiology
Electromagnetism
Bone metabolism

Background:

Spaceflight poses risks to astronaut health, including bone density loss.
Calcium loss during spaceflight is not explained by nutritional or physical activity factors.
The unique electromagnetic environment of space is a potential, understudied cause.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of the altered electromagnetic environment in spaceflight-induced calcium loss.
To compare induced electric fields in astronauts to known biological effect thresholds.

Main Methods:

Calculating the electric field induced within astronauts due to motion in Earth's geomagnetic field.
Comparing these induced fields to thresholds known to cause biological effects in laboratory settings.

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Main Results:

The electric field induced inside astronauts during spaceflight is significant.
This induced electric field is greater than levels previously shown to elicit diverse biological effects.
This suggests a potential mechanism for spaceflight-induced physiological changes.

Conclusions:

The altered electromagnetic environment, specifically induced electric fields from motion in geomagnetic fields, may contribute to body calcium loss during spaceflight.
Further research is warranted to explore the biological impacts of these induced electric fields on bone metabolism and astronaut health.