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Human Nutrition and Metabolism

The Nutritional Status of Astronauts Is Altered after Long-Term Space Flight Aboard the International Space Station¹

Scott M. Smith^*,2, Sara R. Zwart^*, Gladys Block, Barbara L. Rice^** and Janis E. Davis-Street^**

^* Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office, NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058; Epidemiology and Public Health Nutrition, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720; and ^** Enterprise Advisory Services, Inc., Houston, TX 77058

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: scott.m.smith{at}nasa.gov.

Defining optimal nutrient requirements is critical for ensuring crew health during long-duration space exploration missions. Data pertaining to such nutrient requirements are extremely limited. The primary goal of this study was to better understand nutritional changes that occur during long-duration space flight. We examined body composition, bone metabolism, hematology, general blood chemistry, and blood levels of selected vitamins and minerals in 11 astronauts before and after long-duration (128–195 d) space flight aboard the International Space Station. Dietary intake and limited biochemical measures were assessed during flight. Crew members consumed a mean of 80% of their recommended energy intake, and on landing day their body weight was less (P = 0.051) than before flight. Hematocrit, serum iron, ferritin saturation, and transferrin were decreased and serum ferritin was increased after flight (P < 0.05). The finding that other acute-phase proteins were unchanged after flight suggests that the changes in iron metabolism are not likely to be solely a result of an inflammatory response. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine concentration was greater and RBC superoxide dismutase was less after flight (P < 0.05), indicating increased oxidative damage. Despite vitamin D supplement use during flight, serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol was decreased after flight (P < 0.01). Bone resorption was increased after flight, as indicated by several markers. Bone formation, assessed by several markers, did not consistently rise 1 d after landing. These data provide evidence that bone loss, compromised vitamin D status, and oxidative damage are among critical nutritional concerns for long-duration space travelers.

KEY WORDS: • space flight • nutritional status • humans • bone resorption • weightlessness

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