Simulation of integrated physiology based on an astronaut exercise protocol

During long-duration spaceflight, the human body faces many risks. Although in-flight exercise protocols have helped to ameliorate the deconditioning effects of microgravity, they have not yet produced postflight conditioning measures equaling those seen preflight. The National Space Biomedical Research Institute convened an Exercise Workshop in 2002 that affirmed the value of producing a simulation of human exercise to study the effects of various exercise protocols. As an initial effort, in collaboration with researchers at three other institutions, APL has developed a prototype integrated simulation of the 25-min cycle ergometer exercise protocol used by U.S. astronauts since the Skylab missions that includes simulations of the cardiovascular system dynamics, tissue-bed blood flows, whole-body metabolism, and respiration. The High Level Architecture standard for simulation interoperability, developed by the DoD and now an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers standard, is used to connect these components.