Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Investigations of Leg Veins in Cosmonauts after Repeated 6-Month Missions to the RS of the ISS

  • EXPERIMENTAL AND GENERAL THEORETICAL RESEARCH
  • Published:
Human Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The results of occlusion plethysmography examination of leg veins are presented for 11 cosmonauts launched to the Russian segment (RS) of the International Space Station (ISS) for six-month space flights (SFs) at about four-year intervals. Baseline measurements made before the second launch to the ISS showed an increase in the leg volume and a decrease in venous capacity in comparison with the measurements before the first launch. Comparison of the data obtained in months 2 and 5 in two missions showed consistency of individual trends in changes in vein parameters; however, in the second mission the increases in vein capacity and compliance were less pronounced. There were no dramatic differences between the trends and dynamics of vein filling rates in microgravity during the second and the first SFs. It should be assumed that active fitness training in the interval between missions had a positive effect on the leg muscle condition and favored the diminution of the free compliance zone of the leg veins. It was found that repeated participation in six-month SFs had no negative influence on the condition of leg veins of cosmonauts, providing the maintenance of good physical fitness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Grigoriev, A.I. and Egorov, A.D., Regulation of human cardiovascular system in microgravity, Vestn. Ross. Akad. Med. Nauk, 2002, no. 6, pp. 52–58.

  2. Egorov, A.D., The mechanisms of decrease in orthostatic tolerance in long-term spaceflights, Aviakosm. Ekol. Med., 2001, vol. 35, no. 6, pp. 3–12.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kotovskaya, A.R. and Fomina, G.A., Human cardiovascular system in space flight conditions, in Kosmicheskaya meditsina i biologiya (Space Medicine and Biology), Grigoriev, A.I. and Ushakov, I.B., Eds., Voronezh, 2013, pp. 306–320.

  4. Buckey, J.C., Lane, L.D., Levine, B.D., et al., Orthostatic intolerance after spaceflight, J. Appl. Physiol., 1996, vol. 81, no. 1, pp. 7–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Tyberg, J.V. and Hamilton, V.R., Orthostatic hypotension and the role of changes in venous capacitance, Med. Sci. Sports Exercise, 1996, vol. 28, pp. 29–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Fomina, G.A. and Kotovskaya, A.R., Changes in human venous hemodynamics in long-term space flights, Aviakosm. Ekol. Med., 2005, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 25–30.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Kotovskaya, A.R., Fomina, G.A., and Salnikov, A.V., Variation of the state of lower limb veins in cosmonauts during long-term missions, Aviakosm. Ekol. Med., 2015, vol. 49, no. 5, pp. 5–11.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Kotovskaya, A.R., Fomina, G.A., Salnikov, A.V., and Yarmanova, E.N., Development of methodology for the study of the lower limbs veins of cosmonauts as regards to the practice of space medicine, Aviakosm. Ekol. Med., 2014, vol. 48, no. 6, pp. 5–9.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kotovskaya, A.R. and Fomina, G.A., Human venous hemodynamics in microgravity and prediction of orthostatic tolerance in flight, Aviakosm. Ekol. Med., 2013, vol. 47, no. 1, pp. 37–42.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kotovskaya, A.R., Fomina, G.A., Alferova, I.V., and Salnikov, A.V., Prediction of orthostatic tolerance of cosmonauts in weightlessness on the condition of the lower limbs veins during the 6-month space flights, Aviakosm. Ekol. Med., 2016, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 5–9.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The study was conducted within the State Assignment no. 0130–2014–0006, subject 65.1 (number of state registration 01201370667).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 123007, Moscow, Russia

    A. R. Kotovskaya, G. A. Fomina & V. A. Salnikov

Authors
  1. A. R. Kotovskaya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. A. Fomina
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. V. A. Salnikov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to A. R. Kotovskaya or G. A. Fomina.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interests. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Statement of compliance with standards of research involving humans as subjects. The experimental procedure was reviewed and approved by the Bioethical committee of the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences. All subjects signed the informed consent on participation in the experiment after the explanation of the experimental design.

Additional information

Translated by E. Sherstyuk

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kotovskaya, A.R., Fomina, G.A. & Salnikov, V.A. Investigations of Leg Veins in Cosmonauts after Repeated 6-Month Missions to the RS of the ISS. Hum Physiol 46, 776–779 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119720070087

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0362119720070087

Keywords:

Search

Navigation