Aspiring astronauts and their endocrinologists can rest assured that trips in zero gravity will not result in decreased testosterone levels, new research suggests.
But the study’s results close off one potential countermeasure against the bone and muscle loss experienced by those during extended space flights and bed rests – namely, giving space travellers testosterone.
Collecting urine and blood samples from astronauts, researchers found no change in testosterone or cortisol levels among 15 male astronauts after long expeditions of between 48 and 215 days, nor among crew going on a 12 to 13 day mission.
However, the researchers did find there was a consistent decrease in testosterone on landing day after both long and short flights.
Before these results, the only human space flight data...
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