Astronauts lose additional bone, but not muscle due to space radiations: Study

New Delhi : Being in space is no cake walk; it looks tempting but it has its own set of side effects on the human body. 

As per latest findings, it has been learned that the astronauts living in space have more chances of losing bone due to continuous interaction with the radiations.

A study has found that pace radiation may cause astronauts in outer space to lose additional bone, but not more muscle.

The study mentions about NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a record-setting year in space, claiming that he gained a few inches in height on his return.

The results are shocking for NASA as they have future plans to go beyond limits inside the outer space. And to make it safer for astronauts it is important to learn human body behaviour in the space. 

In the first study of its kind, researchers investigated the combined impact of space radiation and microgravity on bone and muscle, hypothesising that radiation would exacerbate bone and muscle loss caused by microgravity.

"Radiation plus microgravity amplifies the negative effect of microgravity on bone, but does not affect muscle loss," said Henry J Donahue, Virginia Commonwealth University in the US.

"It's as if exposure to radiation itself doesn't affect bone, but it makes it more sensitive to the negative effects of microgravity," said Donahue.

The study has been published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Researchers are now looking for ways to find a solution over the newly discovered problem.