Recovery of cosmonaut's leg muscles strength after extended mission with the use of strength training equipment for partial compensation of the gravitational unloading

This was the first successful tracking of leg muscles strength and endurance dynamics in a group of 25 cosmonauts during 2 weeks of readaptation. In the extended the ISS missions (176 ± 81 days) the cosmonauts used the US resistance training device (ARED) as an important source of information about proprioception and ground reaction force from the proprioceptive and support inputs. Exercises were performed following the instructions in the Russian system of preventing hypogravity induced disorders. Isokinetic testing of the leg strength was conducted before and after missions. Significant deterioration of all strength and velocity indices was observed on R + 4; maximal loss of the peak torque was at the angular velocity of 30°/s. deterioration of strength and endurance was not significant on R + 15. Hence, recovery of the strength and velocity indices after extended missions is a fairly slow process. This fact should be taken into account in planning of strengthdependent activities in future exploration missions. © 2019 Slovo Ltd. All rights reserved.