Astronauts suffer increased bone loss on return to Earth: Calgary study

A study released Thursday from the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary followed 17 astronauts before and after their space flights.

The experience may be out-of-this-world but research indicates those who travel to outer space suffer from increased bone loss.

A study released Thursday from the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary followed 17 astronauts before and after their space flights.

The TBone study, conducted over a seven-year period starting in 2015, found that prolonged weightlessness accelerated bone loss in the astronauts.

“We found that weight-bearing bones only partially recovered in most astronauts one year after spaceflight,” said Dr. Leigh Gabel, an assistant professor in the faculty of kinesiology and lead author of the study.

“This suggests the permanent bone loss due to spaceflight is about the same as a decade worth of age-related bone loss on Earth.”

The researchers travelled to Johnson Space Center in Houston to scan the wrists and ankles of the astronauts before they left for space, on their return to Earth then after six months and one year.

The findings, published in Scientific Reports, said the loss happens because bones that would normally be weight-bearing on Earth, such as the legs, don’t have to carry weight in a zero gravity setting.

“We’ve seen astronauts who had trouble walking due to weakness and lack of balance after returning from spaceflight to others who cheerfully rode their bike on Johnson Space Center campus to meet us for a study visit,” said Dr. Steven Boyd, director of the McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health and professor in the Cumming School of Medicine.