Science & Exploration Myotones: measuring muscle health in space 28/09/2026 59 views 1 likesOn Earth, working against gravity, our muscles always retain a small amount of natural tension, while continuous neuromuscular activity also helps us maintain posture and respond quickly to sudden movements.
Measuring the natural tone, stiffness and elasticity of muscles in orbit We already know quite a lot about muscle loss in space.
The pulse causes the tissue underneath the skin to briefly oscillate, and the device analyses these tiny movements to measure properties such as muscle tone, stiffness and elasticity.
For future long-duration missions, this knowledge could help astronauts better monitor their muscle health and adapt their exercise programmes to target the muscles that need it most.
Sponsored by ESA, German Aerospace Center DLR and the UK Space Agency, the experiment is run by the Center of Space Medicine at the Charité University Medicine Berlin.
Science & Exploration Myotones: measuring muscle health in space 28/09/2026 59 views 1 likes
On Earth, working against gravity, our muscles always retain a small amount of natural tension, while continuous neuromuscular activity also helps us maintain posture and respond quickly to sudden movements. That means our muscles reflexively tense when unexpectedly pulled or stretched, helping to maintain stability. In weightlessness, much of this mechanical load disappears, especially for the so-called antigravity muscles, involved in posture and movement. Over time, they lose mass and function, and this is one of the reasons why astronauts exercise about two hours a day during a space mission.
Measuring the natural tone, stiffness and elasticity of muscles in orbit We already know quite a lot about muscle loss in space. What scientists know less about is how microgravity affects the natural tone, stiffness and elasticity of our resting muscles and surrounding soft tissues, including tendons and fascia. That’s where Myotones comes in. This investigation studies the biomechanical properties of muscles and related tissues before, during and after long-duration missions. To do that, the astronauts use a small handheld device that applies a brief, painless pressure pulse. The pulse causes the tissue underneath the skin to briefly oscillate, and the device analyses these tiny movements to measure properties such as muscle tone, stiffness and elasticity. To help ensure that measurements are always taken at exactly the same spot, the astronaut wears a suit with openings at specific points.
The data recorded in space is compared to the data taken before and after the flight, and understanding these changes helps scientists learn more about human resting muscle tone, the natural, very slight tension and mechanical state of muscles and related tissues when they are at rest.
Sophie Adenot exercising on the CEVIS bike “As often with research in space, what we learn up here can also be useful down on Earth. The findings could contribute to better ways of preventing or treating muscle stiffness and loss of function, particularly in older people, people on prolonged bed rest or those with sedentary lifestyles”, explains ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot, who’s one of the subjects of the Myotones experiment. For future long-duration missions, this knowledge could help astronauts better monitor their muscle health and adapt their exercise programmes to target the muscles that need it most. Sponsored by ESA, German Aerospace Center DLR and the UK Space Agency, the experiment is run by the Center of Space Medicine at the Charité University Medicine Berlin.
