Astronauts become as weak as 80-year-olds in space

LONDON - The US researchers have found that astronauts in the prime of life, spending months in space, become as weak as 80-year-olds.

The researchers made the discovery after examining muscle tissues of crew members on the International Space Station (ISS).

The calf biopsy samples revealed that after six months in space, the physical work capacity of astronauts fell by 40 percent, reports the Daily Telegraph.

This was equivalent to the muscles of an astronaut aged 30 to 50 years wasting away to the level of an average 80-year-old, according to the Journal of Physiology.

The deterioration occurred despite crew members taking to regular exercise in the space station. The ISS is equipped with two treadmills and an exercise cycle.

Scientists fear the effects of extended weightlessness on skeletal muscle will pose a significant safety risk for future manned Mars missions.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) estimates that it would take a crew 10 months to reach Mars. With a one year stay, a mission could take as long as three years.

Robert Fitts from the Marquette University in Wisconsin, who led the study, and his team wrote: “The main findings were that prolonged weightlessness produced substantial loss of fibre mass, force and power.”

Fitts believes if astronauts tried to travel to Mars today, they would have trouble performing even routine work in a space suit.

The most affected muscles, such as the calf, could weaken by as much as 50 percent.

Nine American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts were tested before and after spending 180 days on the International Space Station.