Abstract:
The acceptability of the food systems for long-duration spaceflight is a key determinant of nutrient intake required to maintain crew health and performance. Subjective reports from both American and Russian astronauts indicate some attenuation of taste and smell acuity in the micro-gravity environment, shifts in food preferences, and claims that food tastes different in space. It has been proposed that microgravity induced fluid shifts lead to congestion of the nasal passages resulting in decreased airflow and decreased transport of odorants to the olfactory receptors. This hypothesis is supported by astronaut reports of a sense of nasal congestion in space. We are studying the phenomenon of reduced olfactory acuity in the microgravity analog of head-down bed rest. Nasal cavity dimensions and airway resistance are quantitatively measured, and correlated with the subject’s ability to identify familiar food related odorants. A control population of isolated, confined subjects will be studied later in the project. Here we report preliminary findings of changes in nasal cavity dimension from our ongoing bed rest study.
