Space physiology

The space environment is full of risks and challenges for people who adapt to the Earth's environment for a long time. In the environmental conditions of weightlessness, radiation, narrowness, and confinement, astronauts will be subjected to a variety of effects, some of which may affect the physiological structure and function of the human body, resulting in pathological changes. Weight loss, muscle atrophy, and bone loss are common problems in space medicine and astronaut nutrition. For example, the health of astronauts before, during, and after life in space can be significantly affected by changes in the spine. Low back pain is a common and well-known flight complaint. Disc herniations are more common and have a higher incidence among astronauts on this spaceflight. Changes in disc, vertebral, and spinal postural muscle shape affect astronauts’ performance during spaceflight. Therefore it is necessary to take corresponding physical and drug treatment countermeasures. This chapter mainly focuses on the common diseases of space diseases such as cardiovascular abnormality, bone loss, skeletal muscle atrophy, and space motion sickness. The effects of the space environment on physiology and the preventive and therapeutic measures are introduced to provide important protection for the health of astronauts in manned space missions.