DIURETIC AS A MEANS FOR RAPID ADAPTATION TO WEIGHTLESSNESS

In a number of flights, cosmonauts and astronauts have experienced agg ravation of their health status and general condition in the initial h ours and days in a weightless environment. One of the trigger mechanis ms for the onset of these unfavourable conditions at the start of spac e flight is a redistribution of body fluids and a blood shift towards the head. To ensure controlled hypohydration as a countermeasure to th e deleterious effects of 0-g and to investigate the feasibility to con trol adaptation, six cosmonauts were administered lasix once a day dur ing the first 3 days of a mission. All data of the experiment (correct ion test, questionnaire, hematocrit) were recorded on a special form i n the logbook and transmitted to the control centre for processing. Re sults showed that the diuretic weakened the sensation of discomfort an d improved the cosmonauts' general condition. Objective indices of the correction test indicate an increased work ability of cosmonauts. Aft er hypohydration, circulating plasma volumes in the group were reduced by 6.8 + 1.0% on average.