Did you know that being on the International Space Station for a few months can have the same effect on bone density loss as a decade or more of aging here on earth? In this episode, Dr. Erin Macri asks Drs. Leigh Gabel and Kate Ackerman about a recent publication about predictors of bone loss on long-duration space flights – it’s not what you might think! – and how this new information might change how we approach bone health in sports medicine here on earth.


Links and resources:

https://twitter.com/AstroVicGlover/status/1337434468244746240

Gabel L, Liphardt AM, Hulme PA, Heer M, Zwart SR, Sibonga JD, Smith SM, Boyd S. Pre-flight exercise and bone metabolism predict unloading-induced bone loss due to spaceflight. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Published Online First: 17 February 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-103602

Ackerman KE, Popp KL, Bouxsein ML. Rocket science: what spaceflight can tell us about skeletal health on Earth. British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 21 April 2021. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-104164