[The effect of moderate altitude on the maintenance of a good health status and high physical work capacity in cosmonauts over the course of a long period of time].

The development of the methods to maintain good health and high performance and occupational longevity of cosmonauts is an urgent problem. For this end, an effect of periodic (1-2 times a year) training in mid-lands on working and functional capacities of cosmonauts being members of cosmonauts corps for extended periods of time (20 years) was studied; the results of 40 trainings in mid-lands at 1,600 to 2,400 m above sea level are summarized. Before, during and after training, the physiological and physical parameters of the body (BP after Korotkoff, HR, VO2max) during exercise bicycle ergometer tests as well as the time of running on treadmill at a rate of 4.

[Results of long-term electrocardiographic examinations of cosmonauts].

This paper is the first summary of regular electrocardiographic examinations of 21 cosmonauts who made 42 space flights during the years 1964 through 1985. Electrocardiographic examinations were performed before, during and after flight. The most common ECG abnormality recorded was extrasystolic arrhythmia that occurred very frequently during provocative tests.

[Vascular mechanisms of adaptation to head-down tilt body posture].

Using occlusion plethysmography and rheography, the state of peripheral circulation of 18 test subjects during 25 exposures to head-down tilt was investigated. The test subjects were subdivided into two groups: nine subjects actively changed their body position by 90 degrees and nine others were passively transferred to the head-down position at an angle of -12 degrees. It was found that regular training facilitated the development of vascular mechanisms which assisted adaptation to the head-down tilt: it decreased the tone of resistance vessels of the arms and legs and that of capacitance vessels of the legs; it increased the tone of cerebral resistance and capacitance vessels.