[Effect of antiorthostatic hypokinesia and space flight factors on changes in crural volume].

The purpose of the present investigation was to assess, using a specially built sensor, variations and level of fluid redistribution as well as atrophic changes in leg muscles of test subjects exposed to prolonged head-down tilt and cosmonauts in a real space flight. Hypokinetic test subjects were examined before, during and after head-down tilt, whereas cosmonauts were examined before and during flight. The results obtained show that a change in the hydrostatic component of blood pressure is followed by displacement of a substantial fluid volume (about 7%). Adequate performance of pre-assigned countermeasures seems to prevent atrophic developments of leg muscles.