Centrifugal rowing as a strategy to mitigate cardiovascular and muscular deconditioning in prolonged immobilization and spaceflight – a pilot trial

Abstract Background Prolonged immobilization and spaceflight lead to cardiovascular and musculoskeletal deconditioning. Combining artificial gravity through short-arm centrifugation with rowing exercise could serve as countermeasure. Our objective was to compare the tolerability, muscle force production, cardiovascular response, and potential power output of rowing on a short-arm centrifuge and under terrestrial gravity. Methods We included 12 rowing athletes (4 women, aged 27.2 ± 7.4 years, height 179 ± 0.1 cm, weight 73.7 ± 9.4 kg). They completed two rowing sessions in a cross-over fashion separated by at least six weeks. One session was conducted on a short-arm centrifuge at + 0.5Gz and the other session in terrestrial gravity with the rowing ergometer inclined by 26.6°. Participants started self-paced rowing at 30 W, increasing by 15 W every three minutes until exhaustion. We recorded rowing performance, heart rate, brachial blood pressure, ground reaction forces, leg muscle activation, and blood lactate concentration. Results Rowing on the centrifuge was well-tolerated, with no adverse events. We did not observe significant differences in heart rate, blood pressure, or blood lactate concentration between rowing conditions. Although inclined rowing under natural gravity allowed participants to achieve a higher power output (p < 0.001) compared to rowing in artificial gravity. However, rowing in artificial gravity produced higher mean and peak ground reaction forces (p < 0.0001) and increased leg muscle activation in rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, and vastus lateralis. Muscle activation and ground reaction forces differed with rotational direction. Conclusion Rowing in artificial gravity is feasible and holds promise as a strategy against cardiovascular and muscular deconditioning during long-term spaceflight.