Does the Stress of Space Flight Activate the Epstein-Barr Virus?
During the preflight and postflight activities of Expedition Five, Robert Fitts from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., biopsied astronaut calf muscles to study the effect of prolonged space flight on human skeletal muscle. Past studies show that weightlessness causes deterioration of muscle strength and size; this investigation examined changes at the cellular level. The experiment investigators tested the astronauts’ muscles before and after the mission, and the subjects kept records of their exercise while in space. This experiment is being repeated on Expedition Six and again in 2003during Expeditions Seven and Eight.
