IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has conducted a significant experiment to determine the health of muscles in space, which is important for both astronauts going on extended space missions and for those who have lost muscle mass on Earth.

Last week, on board Axiom Space’s mission -4, Shukla made history by being the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS).

He oversaw the muscle and brain study with three other participants from the US, Poland, and Hungary in addition to seven Expedition 73 members.

In order to discover how to preserve muscle health in space, Shukla checked muscle stem cell cultures in Kibo’s Life Science Glovebox, according to a blog post from NASA.

Researching muscle deterioration in microgravity, a significant problem that has long plagued space medicine, may lead to the development of novel treatment approaches.

Because there is no gravity, the load is removed during space travel, which leads to muscle loss. In an interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the orbital lab, Shukla stated, “My experiment is looking at whether we can stop or delay this muscle loss by giving some supplement.”

The fact that these supplements can be utilized to treat individuals who lose muscle mass as a result of aging has obvious implications for Earth as well. Therefore, I believe it can be utilized there,” the IAF Group Caption continued.

“The findings can prevent muscle atrophy in astronauts during long space missions,” according to Axiom Space’s mission statement.

According to the private American, it can result in “treatments for muscle-related diseases and conditions related to aging or prolonged immobility” on Earth.

In the meantime, Shukla produced a movie about how the digestive system adjusts to space that was aimed at young Indian pupils. According to NASA, he also recorded crew activities for the Astronaut Mental Health project.

Over the course of the 14-day stay at the ISS, the Ax-4 crew will carry out over 60 microgravity scientific studies and commercial activities on behalf of 31 countries, including the United States, India, Poland, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, and countries throughout Europe.

India has provided the expedition with seven carefully chosen studies through ISRO.