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Cited by 111Spaceflight effects on biologyBone health and osteoporosis researchSpace Exploration and Technology

Fifty Years of Human Space Travel: Implications for Bone and Calcium Research

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Smith, S.M., Abrams, S.A., Davis-Street, J.E., Heer, M., O'Brien, K.O., Wastney, M.E., Zwart, S.R.·2014·Annual Review of Nutrition
DOI 10.1146/annurev-nutr-071813-105440
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Abstract

Calcium and bone metabolism remain key concerns for space travelers, and ground-based models of space flight have provided a vast literature to complement the smaller set of reports from flight studies. Increased bone resorption and largely unchanged bone formation result in the loss of calcium and bone mineral during space flight, which alters the endocrine regulation of calcium metabolism. Physical, pharmacologic, and nutritional means have been used to counteract these changes. In 2012, heavy resistance exercise plus good nutritional and vitamin D status were demonstrated to reduce loss of bone mineral density on long-duration International Space Station missions. Uncertainty continues to exist, however, as to whether the bone is as strong after flight as it was before flight and whether nutritional and exercise prescriptions can be optimized during space flight. Findings from these studies not only will help future space explorers but also will broaden our understanding of the regulation of bone and calcium homeostasis on Earth.

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  • Studies of increasing intakes of calcium, fluoride, or phosphate were unsuccessful in mitigating bone loss.

    “The potential for nutrition to mitigate this bone loss was identified early but studies of increasing intakes of calcium, or fluoride, or phosphate, were unsuccessful74,77,79,82–84.”

    From Red risks for a journey to the red planet: The highest priority human health risks for a mission to Mars (2020) · cites this paper as [77]

    The Nutritional Countermeasures section says calcium supplementation was tested in bed-rest studies without success and that excess calcium will not suppress microgravity-related bone loss. The References list a study of supplementary calcium and phosphate, but the copy does not report its outcome; it also does not establish that increased fluoride intake failed. (LLM, conf=0.87)

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  • An increase in bone resorption was the likely culprit and bone formation was largely unchanged in microgravity or ground analogs.

    “It has been shown that an increase in bone resorption was the likely culprit and that bone formation was largely unchanged in microgravity or ground analogs77–79.”

    From Red risks for a journey to the red planet: The highest priority human health risks for a mission to Mars (2020) · cites this paper as [77]

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [51]51. Jowsey J. 1971. Bone at the cellular level: the effects of inactivity. In Hypogravic and Hypodynamic Envi- ronments, NASA Spec. Publ. SP-269, ed. RH Murray, M McCally, pp. 111-19. Washington, DC: Natl. Aeronaut. Space Adm.
  2. [150]150. Whedon GD, Lutwak L, Rambaut PC, Whittle MW, Smith MC, et al. 1977. Mineral and nitrogen metabolic studies, experiment M071. In Biomedical results from Skylab, NASA Spec. Publ. SP-377, ed. RS Johnston, LF Dietlein, pp. 164-74. Washington, DC: Natl. Aeronaut. Space Adm. 155.

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Authors
Smith, S. M., Abrams, S. A., Davis-Street, J. E., Heer, M., O'Brien, K. O., Wastney, M. E., & Zwart, S. R.
Affiliations
  • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US)
  • Baylor College of Medicine (US)
  • Chevron Services Company, Corporate Health and Medical, Houston, Texas 77002;
  • University of Bonn (DE)
  • Cornell University (US)
  • Metabolic Modeling Services, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906;
  • Universities Space Research Association (US)
ORCID
Venue
Annual Review of Nutrition
Publisher
Annual Reviews
Published
2014-07-17
Volume
34
Issue
1
Pages
377-400
ISSN
  • 0199-9885 (ISSN-L)
  • 1545-4312
DOI
10.1146/annurev-nutr-071813-105440
OpenAlex
W2149053785
Cited by
111
References
180
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3
FWCI
1.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annual Review of Nutrition (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Spaceflight effects on biology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Bone health and osteoporosis research
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Space Exploration and Technology
Keywords
human spaceflight, bone mineral loss, bone resorption, calcium metabolism, bone mineral density, resistance training, vitamin D, International Space Station, bone strength
MeSH terms
Animals, Bone and Bones, Bone Development, Bone Resorption, Calcium, Dietary, Humans, Models, Biological, Nutritional Status, Space Flight, Vitamin D, Weightlessness, Evidence-Based Medicine, History, 20th Century, History, 21st Century, Bone Density Conservation Agents, Resistance Training

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