EFFECTS OF DAILY MILD SUPINE EXERCISE ON PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE AFTER 20 DAYS BED REST IN YOUNG PERSONS

To investgate the effects of daily mild supine exercise on physical pe rformance capacity identified as maximal oxygen uptake rate (VO2max) a fter 20 days bed-rest. 3 male students performed a supine pedaling at 40 % intensity Of VO2max for one hour every day, while 6 male and 5 fe male students were control. Before and after the bed-rest. muscle mass and strength of exercising leg and cardio-vascular responses during - 40 mmHg lower body negative pressure (LBNP) and moderate upright cycli ng exercise were measured. Despite the exercise program VO2max was sim ilarly decreased to the control subjects after the bed-rest. The delta VO2max was correlated to delta % left ventricular fractional shorteni ng during LBNP. and also % delta VO2max to % delta stroke volume of th e moderate exercise (both p<0.05). The exercise programme should be to o weak to maintain cardiovascular functions and thus to present the de crease in VO2max against pro-longed bed-rest as well as weightlessness stress.