Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The current state and future trends of space nutrition from a perspective of astronauts' physiology

2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 24; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.ijgfs.2021.100324

1878-4518

А. Л. Бычков, Polina Reshetnikova, Elena Bychkova, Ekaterina Podgorbunskikh, V. Yu. Koptev,

High Altitude and Hypoxia

All astronauts need to replenish their energy reserves regardless of their nationality or how well-developed their countries' space programs are. The objective of the present review is both to discuss the astronauts' nutrition from a historical perspective and to outline its development trends based on the current knowledge of physiological processes occurring during spaceflights. This approach is well justified, since despite the current level of space exploration, the effects of nutrition on physiological changes in astronauts' bodies have not been receiving proper attention. Thus, developing a balanced ration makes it possible to significantly reduce the hazards encountered by astronauts during space missions (especially during the planned deep space ones), avoid a number of pathophysiological changes such as carcinogenesis, bone demineralization, immune system dysfunction, declining mental and physical capacity, and space motion sickness. Considerable assistance in this field can be rendered by developing space nutrition industry and by collaboration between the experts in food industry and healthcare, physiologists, chemists, and materials scientists rather than by simply increasing the pharmaceutical load on the spaceflight crew (when a 'syndrome–disease–treatment' string is implemented). Therefore, the researchers face a pressing issue related to the development of balanced diets with controlled intake of vitamins, biologically active substances, and foods exhibiting radioprotective properties. These diets are supposed to ensure the diverse range of foods and simultaneously protect astronauts' health.