Zero-G deterioration

[Guest zarglif69]

When a person spends an extended amount of time in a zero- or lower-gravity environment, they lose bone mass, their heart shrinks, and other such things occur. in space, this is easily rectified with rotational gravity, but how can this be prevented on a lower-G world such as Mars, within a hard/low SF context? Any suggestions?

[BoneDaddy]

exercise. LOTS of exercise. Load bearing cardio. There was a particularly athletic cosmonaut who spent nine months in 0G, and came out of the landing pod in a walking handstand. No Bone Deterioration, No Muscle Loss, Nada. He worked out for four hours/day up there, cutting into his sleep cycle.

 

A daily injection of atropine could keep the heart is good shape if it didn't kill it. Atropine, anabolic steroids, calcium supplements and a high mad-field bed (promotes bone growth) could possibly counter the problems of living in low G, but it would bring a host of other problems (heart attack, stroke, mental deterioration, bone spurs, etc.)

[Guest zarglif69]

Hmmmmm... but this is rectifying problems with drugs, and powerful, dangerous drugs at that. I want something anyone can use, including children and the elderly. but thanx anyways.

[Outsider]

I've heard (I dont know where) that long term low-G deterioration is not debilitating if the low-G is moon+ level.

[BoneDaddy]

Originally posted by zarglif69

Hmmmmm... but this is rectifying problems with drugs, and powerful, dangerous drugs at that. I want something anyone can use, including children and the elderly. but thanx anyways.

 

Then I woud suggest regular vigorous weight bearing exercise.

Or, to get all sci-fi like on ya...

 

Consider the following: Seymon Kirlian stumbled upon Kirlian photography in the 1940's, nearly killing himself in the process (google it yourself, interesting read). There are some that beleive Kirlian photography can be used to diagnose illness or infirmity. Let's go one more step. If you could generate the energy that Kirlian photography captures, perhaps you could cure illness or infirmity. Thus, the healing booth is invented. The Kirlian booth would measure your health, calculate the ideal, and maintain that ideal. It would speed up any healing, help combat any disease. It could also be tweaked to maintain a healthy Earth gravity body. So, sleep in the booth at night, stay Earth strong on Mars, the moon, deep space, microgravity, wherever. A must for hypersleep.

 

For game mechanics, its an AID, independant, bulky, only to maintain Earth health levels, extended time (disadvantage). You could probably build one for a point or two with all that.

[Ranxerox]

Originally posted by zarglif69

Hmmmmm... but this is rectifying problems with drugs, and powerful, dangerous drugs at that. I want something anyone can use, including children and the elderly. but thanx anyways.

 

If you don't want to have everyone walking about wearing weighted backpacks (and you might), then you are pretty much stuck with drugs or genetic engineering. On the bright side though, now that we have our own genome mapped we should be able to make drugs that accomplish this with much less in the way of dangerous side effects.

 

Calcium loss from the bones is just the sort of hormone regulated phenomen that a better understanding of our own genes will probably open windows of treatment. So go out and chug a couple liters of soda. By the time that you are old enough to have to worry about the calcium that the soda leached from your bones, there will be a simple pill to pop in order to reverse the damage.

[Lowly Uhlan]

I was wondering the same thing since my game will be set entirely away from Earth or any other world with more than Mars gravity. So I'll cop right out: go rubber and call it "Nanotech Therapy". Backed up with plenty of exercise.