Much like the toilet which kept playing up during the Artemis II mission, this research reminds us even astronauts operating in other worldly conditions are still human.
Our skeletons and muscles are incredible structures that deal with gravity – even when we simply move our bodies on Earth we are dealing with forces.
“In space we don’t experience any forces, our muscles, our bones immediately start to diminish because we’re not being loaded by those forces,” says Dr Dan Cleather, professor of strength and conditioning at St Mary’s University who is on the team developing the British equipment, HIFIm.
He designed the technology that allows it to monitor how effectively the user is exercising.
If astronauts do not do exercise, they also lose coordination and cardiovascular fitness, they become less able to carry out the functional tasks that they’re required to do.
But there are challenges with exercising in space too, from the weight of current exercise equipment to the limited range of exercises you can do and the time it currently takes astronauts to keep fit.