Space missions take a toll on astronauts’ bodies, especially when it comes to bone and joint health, but jumping exercises may mitigate damage and even improve physical conditioning. A recent study showed that knee cartilage was strengthened in mice that engaged in jumping workouts, a benefit that scientists think could possibly extend to humans. This type of training could become a crucial preventative measure for astronauts, who often experience weakening of cartilage due to low gravity in space.
The study, published in the journal npj Microgravity, offers an exciting possibility to keep astronauts healthy as they embark on space missions that entail physically demanding tasks. Researchers are confident that the successful results of jumping workouts in mice could be applied to humans, with the potential to prevent cartilage degradation in space.
Keeping Astronauts Healthy
Cartilage, a connective, flexible tissue, is a critical component of the human body, facilitating the smooth movement of joints by reducing friction and keeping bones from rubbing against each other. Despite the vital role of cartilage, it heals slowly and can lose integrity during long periods of inactivity.
Cartilage health is a particular concern for astronauts, as low gravity and space radiation have been shown to cause cartilage degradation in those who spend long periods of time in space. Astronauts usually exercise an average of around two hours a day while in space to maintain physical fitness, as they need a healthy body for tasks like spacewalks and equipment repairs. With space missions becoming more ambitious by the year, envisioning destinations like the far side of the Moon and Mars, astronauts' health will need to be prioritized more than ever.
“Think about sending somebody on a trip to Mars; they get there, and they can't walk because they developed osteoarthritis of the knees or the hips, and their joints don't function,” said study author Marco Chiaberge, an astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University, the Space Telescope Science Institute, and the European Space Agency, in a statement. “Astronauts also perform spacewalks often. They serviced the Hubble Space Telescope five times, and in the future, they will need to spend more time in space and the Moon, where we will build larger telescopes to explore the universe and where they will need to stay as healthy as possible.”
Read More: Back Pain is Highly Common Among Astronauts
Strengthening Cartilage
The new study has shown that jumping exercises could reverse the trend of cartilage breakdown and create more durable cartilage in the process. Researchers observed this promising outcome in a group of mice that were put through jump training sessions three times a week; another group of mice, meanwhile, went through a nine-week period of reduced movement.
They found that the mice in the reduced movement group experienced a 14 percent reduction in cartilage thickness. In contrast, the mice in the jump-training group experienced a 26 percent increase compared to the control group and had 110 percent thicker cartilage than the reduced movement group.
Jumping not only fortified cartilage but also enhanced bone health; the shin bones in the jumping mice saw a 15 percent boost in mineral density. In particular, trabecular bone — porous bone tissue that acts like a shock absorber — had become significantly thicker.
A New Exercise Regimen
The researchers note that more studies need to be conducted to see if these benefits are truly applicable to humans. Jumping exercises — if they indeed affect cartilage the same way in humans — could be implemented in pre-flight routines, and specially designed exercise machines could help guide these kinds of workouts in space. Future studies will also work to understand whether the exercise could recover cartilage damage in astronauts who have returned from a space mission.
Based on the study's results, jump training may also have other applications in supporting arthritis patients and improving athletes’ performance. Knowing that jumping workouts may have the potential to reinforce cartilage in the knee, scientists are now determined to figure out how else physical activity can promote cartilage health for both astronauts and those who remain here on Earth.
Read More: What Causes Arthritis and How to Prevent It
Article Sources
Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:
npj Microgravity. Plyometric training increases thickness and volume of knee articular cartilage in mice
Cleveland Clinic. Cartilage
NASA. Astronaut Exercise
Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.
