Wine compound could help Mars missions
19 Jul 2019
A NASA-funded study has determined that resveratrol, a compound found in grape skins, could be key to preserving human muscle mass on Mars.
Harvard Medical School researchers exposed two groups of rats to conditions that mimicked Mars’ gravitational pull, which is around 40% of Earth’s, causing weakened grip and shrunken muscle weight.
Half of the rats that were then given resveratrol over two weeks showed protected muscle mass, almost entirely rescued front and rear paw grip, and a reduction in the loss of slow-twitch muscle fibres.
Dr Marie Mortreux at Harvard Medical School said the findings could allow astronauts to operate safely on long missions, such as to Mars.
“Dietary strategies could be key, especially since astronauts travelling to Mars won’t have access to the type of exercise machines deployed on the ISS,” she said.
Muscles and bones weaken when unchallenged by gravity, including the human soleus muscle in the calf, which shrinks by a third after just three weeks.
In their study findings, published in Frontiers in Physiology, researchers suggested resveratrol promotes muscle growth by increasing insulin sensitivity and glucose intake in muscle fibres. Resveratrol is already known for its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-diabetic effects.
“This is relevant for astronauts, who are known to develop reduced insulin sensitivity during spaceflight,” Dr Mortreux said.
Further studies will be needed to establish the effects of different doses of resveratrol and confirm the possibly harmful interactions of the compound with other drugs administered during space missions, the team added.
