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Would running prevent deconditioning in muscles that aren't stressed by running?

• cdot2 2y ago
  Running in a circle like this would temporarily give the impression of higher gravity which would affect all muscles.
  • leereeves 2y ago
    That makes sense, thanks. So the claim here is that exposure to a force similar to Earth gravity for "a few laps a day" would prevent/reduce whole-body deconditioning? I guess that makes sense too, since a few reps of weightlifting every couple days is enough to trigger muscle growth and bone densification.
• irjustin 2y ago
  In a circle, you're in an accelerating reference frame and in theory your body can't tell the difference. The amount of exercise you would have to do to even begin to remotely keep up with earth's gravity is insane. Separately, how does aging fair with zero g? can really old people live longer up there or is it actually worse?
  • WalterBright 2y ago
    Our bodies are exquisitely optimized for the surface of the Earth. Any deviation from that (gravity, sunlight, gas pressure, gas composition, radiation, etc.) is likely to be deleterious. This does not bode well for expanding out into the solar system. It might only work if we do some genetic engineering to make off-world habitats more habitable.
    • Animats 2y ago
      > It might only work if we do some genetic engineering to make off-world habitats more habitable. Regular engineering, of robots, will probably work first.