High-Tech Space Weights
04/10/09 - Pretty Cool
“When space-age technology can’t keep astronaut muscles from withering, there’s only one thing left for NASA to do: upgrade. The Advanced Resistance Exercise Device, or aRED, was installed two months ago inside the International Space Station. Smaller and more powerful than any earthly all-in-one gym set, aRED is expected to provide astronauts with much-needed muscle work. “When we think about the space environment, you have to reset the baseline,” said Scott Trappe, director of Ball State University’s Human Performance Laboratory. “On Earth, it’s hypertrophy: ‘How big can I get my muscles?’ In space, it’s ‘How can I protect what I have?” w/ photos
