Abstract: The search for effective approaches to preventing the development of muscle weakness under conditions of motor unloading is currently a crucial task. One of the main reasons for changes in the motor system following exposure to weightlessness is considered to be alterations in the activity of afferent systems, in particular a decrease in the volume of proprioceptive afferentation that activates skeletal muscle motoneurons. Electromyostimulation (EMS) can be used as a countermeasure to maintain the contractile activity of skeletal muscles and provide additional proprioceptive afferentation. However, the question of the most effective EMS training protocols for preventing the identified problems remains open. High- and low-frequency EMS regimens, originally developed for space flights, have already demonstrated their effectiveness in clinical practice. Positive results have been obtained in patients with chronic heart failure in collaboration with the Sechenov University Cardiology Clinic [Poltavskaya M.G. et al., 2022], in patients with balance and gait disorders in collaboration with the Scientific and Practical Psychoneurological Center named after Z.P. Solovyov [Artamonova N.M.A. et al., 2025], and in patients with cardiovascular diseases and senile sarcopenia in collaboration with the University of Bern [Arenja N. et al., 2021]. Since spinal reflexes play a fundamental role in postural control and locomotion, serving as the basic, automatic level of movement regulation, the effects of different EMS regimens in this system were experimentally studied under conditions of motor unloading. Data obtained during a 7-day Dry Immersion study confirmed that under conditions of support unloading, the excitability of motoneurons of calf extensor muscles increases. Importantly, additional proprioceptive stimulation with properly selected EMS training was shown to reduce this effect, thereby helping to maintain motoneuron excitability at appropriate levels. As a result of a series of studies, an EMS technology was developed for maintaining muscle qualities under conditions of limited motor activity, including in patients with chronic heart failure. The developed EMS methods and the device for their implementation can be used to maintain muscle qualities in individuals with restricted mobility, including elderly people and patients who cannot perform active physical training. This research was funded by the Program of Applied Research of the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (FMFR-2025-0001).

Cite: Shigueva T. , Artamonova N. , Ponomarev I. , Rukavishnikov I. , Tomilovskaya E.
Electromyostimulation as a Countermeasure for Microgravity-Induced Motor Deficits: From Ground-Based Analogs to a Clinical Applications
77th International Astronautical Congress, Antalya, Turkey, 5-9 October 2026 05-09 Oct 2026