No Gravity, No Problem: How Astronauts Train in Space
- Graham O’ Brien
- 7 days ago
- 4 min read
Since I was a kid, I had an interest in NASA and space exploration. More recently over the past couple of years, I've developed an ongoing interest in how astronauts train for their missions, from sources such as NASA S&C coach Corey Twine. But also because the bike is also one of their main tools they use for exercise in space.
Strength and conditioning for astronauts is very different from that of what we see for the majority of sports. The work we do in the field of strength and conditioning with field based and endurance athletes is common knowledge, most people nowadays have an idea of how important this area is for the general athlete. But what about astronauts....
I'm sure you're familiar with the recent launch of Artemis II, a 10 day flyby mission around the moon. As we know there's also astronauts located on the international space station who spend far longer than 10 days on a mission, often up to 6 months or more. If they don't exercise they will lose bone density and muscle mass quickly without earths gravity.
FYI... the information included in this article is from my own interest in this area over the years from books I've read and documentaries/videos I've watched. There might be pieces of information in here you didn't know about how astronauts train in space.
There's 3 key pieces of equipment astronauts use in space, mainly in the international space station but there's also a smaller version on the current Orion spacecraft. Generally, crew members average 2.5 hours of exercise per day, 6 days per week.
The teal CEVIS
Interestingly they train a lot on the bike when in space, however they don't need a seat in space so what we see in the photo I've attached below is essentially a unicycle position without the seat, otherwise called a teal CEVIS (Cycle Ergometer Vibration Isolation and Stabilisation). This seems to have been recently replaced with a newer model called the FERGO (Flight ergometer), an upgrade after 20 years using the CEVIS.
I can't imagine how it feels to ride a bike without the traditional seat or handlebar setup, even if they are in space. The bike also maxed out at 350 watts, so any astronauts who wanted a more intense workout had few options but they installed a more powerful 500-watt unit. Clearly these guys are pushing watts!
It doesn't look like a position that I would spend 2.5 hours in either! This is why I think the methods they use to train astronauts are very interesting because you see nothing like this on earth. You can also see they use a clip-in pedal system, what seems to be look branded cleats and pedals.
The T2 Treadmill
Another machine used for cardiovascular benefit is the T2. This is essentially the opposite of the anti gravity treadmills we see in many sports science labs here in Ireland which reduce body weight to make running easier during rehabilitation or return-to-play protocols.
The T2 treadmill essentially works in the opposite way. Because astronauts float in microgravity, they need to be secured to the treadmill using a harness and bungee system that pulls them downward toward the belt. This creates artificial loading and allows astronauts to run in a way that mimics the mechanical demands of running on Earth.
An innovative way of getting the miles in 400km above earth at the ISS.
The Advanced Resistance Exercise Device (ARED) - 'The Beast'
In the absence of gravity everything is so light, which means there's no real need to be strong for daily life on orbit. However, astronauts eventually return home to earth and for that they need to maintain their strength, which is the primary reason they resistance train while in space. This third important piece of equipment is called the ARED, which uses a piston and flywheel system to provide loading that essentially mimics weightlifting in weightlessness.
Link to video of Advanced Resistance Exercise Device (ARED):
The ARED provides constant force throughout the entire motion of the lift, eccentric and concentric movements are loaded and the eccentric load is up to 90% of the concentric force. The interesting thing about this machine is that it can be used for squats, deadlifts, bench presses, essentially the majority of compound movements. Pretty cool idea.
Overall, the concept of strength and conditioning programming seems to remain the same. With much of the resistance training based around performing heavy lifts for low reps. There's no fancy exercises, just innovative devices.
Lastly, you're probably thinking 'wait a minute how can they lift heavy even though there's no gravity in space'.
On Earth, weights feel heavy because gravity pulls the mass down, which creates resistance when we lift something like a barbell. In space that doesn’t happen, so normal weights would just float and feel weightless. Instead, the ARED creates resistance using vacuum cylinders and mechanical components that push back against the astronaut. When they perform exercises like squats, deadlifts or presses, they have to compress pistons inside the machine, which creates a strong opposing force. So even though there’s no gravity, the device can still simulate very heavy loads.
I've linked to a great video where Corey Twine an S&C coach at NASA shows most of these pieces of equipment in action.
Words from NASA Astronaut S&C Coach:
Thanks for reading.
Graham O' Brien
Founder | Coach
OBN Performance
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