Athletes, astronauts and orthostatic tolerance

Abstract

Specific alterations in autonomic functions induced by endurance training may lead to a reduced ability to withstand orthostatic stress. This possibility has caused some authorities to suggest that, because of potentially greater pooling of blood in the lower extremities during gravitational loading, endurance-trained athletes may make poor astronauts. Although results from spaceflight studies have provided little evidence to support this suggestion, data from water-immersion studies indicate that endurance-trained athletes do become more orthostatically intolerant following a few hours of simulated weightlessness. Unfortunately, other evidence supporting the hypothesis that endurance training reduces orthostatic tolerance has not received adequate publication in the open scientific literature. On the other hand, a number of studies which have been openly reported clearly refute this hypothesis. Nevertheless, the established physiological differences between endurance athletes and non-athletes are themselves sufficient to suggest that the hypothesis could be tenable. Consequently, it has to be concluded that the presently available information is both qualitatively and quantitatively inadequate to permit any definite statement regarding a possible relationship between aerobic power (VO2max) and orthostatic tolerance.