Adaptations to a 7-day head-down bed rest with thigh cuffs.

Purpose: Thigh cuffs were two elastic strips fixed at the upper part of each thigh, which limits the shift of fluid from the legs into the cardio-thoracic region. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of thigh cuffs on hormonal and plasma volume responses and orthostatic tolerance during a 7-day head-down bed rest (HDBR).

Methods: Orthostatic tolerance, plasma volume, total body water, blood volume-regulating hormones, and hydro-electrolyte responses were measured in eight healthy men (age range, 25-40 yr), using thigh cuffs 10 h daily during 7 d of -6 degrees HDBR.

Results: Thigh cuffs worn during HDBR attenuated the decrease in plasma volume observed after HDBR (thigh cuffs: -5.85 +/- 0.95% vs control: -9.09 +/- 0.82%, P < or = 0.05). During this experiment, there was no significant change in total body water. Thus, the hypovolemia did not result from a loss of water but from a fluid shift from the blood compartment into the interstitial and/or intracellular compartment. Hormonal responses during HDBR and stand test were not modified by the thigh cuffs. Thigh cuffs had no significant effect on the clinical symptoms of orthostatic intolerance after HDBR.

Conclusions: Thigh cuffs worn during HDBR blunted the decrease in plasma volume but did not reduce orthostatic intolerance; thus, they are not a completely effective countermeasure. Furthermore, hypovolemia seems to be necessary but not sufficient to induce orthostatic intolerance after HDBR.