Going into space days is a bold move that comes with a number of health risks

Gennady Pakalka, a Russian cosmonaut and commander of the crew aboard the International Space Station, has broken the record for the longest period spent in space. He has spent 803 days in space. Padalka has said that he would love to spend 1,000 days in space on a future mission.

Space travel alters the body in a significant way. Padalka faces a variety of health issues, including cancer, back problems, osteoporosis, and damage to her nervous system.

Big guns are a big thank you to gravity

Gravity pulls us down to the Earth’sEarth’s surface. To resist this pull or lift an object, our muscles must contract constantly. We become slightly smaller during the waking hours. Gravity also pulls blood down to our legs, and our heart has to work hard in order to pump oxygenated blood to our heads.

Our bodies have adapted to this environment. The lack of gravity in space has profound effects on our bodies. These effects are amplified by the length of time we spend in this low-gravity space environment (also known as Microgravity). Astronauts in Microgravity will see their muscles wasting away, their bones losing mineral density, and their blood volume decreasing.

One thousand days spent on the ISS can be expensive. NASA

In space, our muscle tissue is wasting away because it’s not being used. After just two weeks in microgravity, muscle size is reduced during shuttle missions.

Since they aren’t used as much as on EarthEarth, the muscles in our legs and torso will be the most affected. Astronauts do not need to stand or walk upright against gravity. The changes in muscle tone that astronauts experience are similar to the ones we see as we age.

These injuries occur despite the fact astronauts exercise up to two hours per day on the ISS. This can lead to serious problems once the astronauts return to EarthEarth. Astronauts are often required to go through a rehabilitation program to get them back to standing up straight.

Heightened in space

The astronauts’ skeletons are also affected by space travel. As they are not being pulled downwards by gravity, their spines can lengthen as much as a couple of inches during a long mission to the ISS. The increased length of the spine can be attributed to the increase of liquid in the spinal disks, which is normally squeezed from the discs during a day on EarthEarth.

Do you feel taller than before? Mercury astronauts in weightless flight simulation in 1958. NASA

This, along with changes in muscle control, causes the spine to become less stable, resulting in lower back pain during and after space travel. Astronauts are more likely to suffer from a slipped disc in the first year following their return from space.

Gravity loads our legs, especially when we land or leap. It helps maintain the density of our bones’ minerals, including calcium. The bone mineral density decreases in space because astronauts’ bones do not get loaded this way. This is not true for upper body bones (arms, for example), which are more heavily used in space.

The bones become brittle due to this loss in bone density, just like people who have osteoporosis on EarthEarth. After nine months on EarthEarth, only half of the bone density loss will be recovered.

A lack of gravity also means that the heart doesn’t have to work as hard in order to pump blood into the brain. The astronauts’ bodies adjust to this by decreasing the amount of blood in their bodies. While in space, the effects are not noticeable. When astronauts return to EarthEarth, their blood is suddenly pushed back towards their feet, resulting in the brain receiving less oxygen-rich blood. It can cause dizziness, and you may see astronauts faint.

Padalka’s verdict

The bodies of astronauts age at a faster rate in space. This can cause significant problems upon returning to EarthEarth. Padalka has no doubt experienced many changes in his body after he’s been on several space missions since 1998. Padalka’s body has recovered in some way after each return to EarthEarth. However, not all of it will be back to normal. The muscles supporting the spine do not heal after six months.

Padalka is at a greater risk for cancer and damage to his central nervous system due to prolonged radiation exposure in space.