Development of Ubiquitous Training System against Human Musculoskeletal Disuse Atrophy

主要研究结果如下：1）提出了一种在失重环境下维持或增强人体肌肉骨骼系统抗废用性萎缩的训练方法。这种训练方法被称为“混合运动”，即电刺激和自主收缩的复合运动。2）疗效，甚至深度，利用MRI T2信号强度阐明了表面电极神经肌肉电刺激（NMES）过程中肌肉刺激的作用。包括旋转传感器在内的刺激设备是为混合运动开发的，可以加强关节周围的肌肉并对相邻骨骼施加力量4）混合锻炼显示了在手腕，肘部，5）通过模拟微重力条件下的单侧下肢悬吊（ULLS）实验，证实了混合运动对受试者膝关节的影响在大学和工业之间组装了具有刺激装置以刺激某些关节的无处不在的智能服作为原型。7）混合运动的生理和生化评价（CK、血压和心率、乳酸值、VO_2、生长激素、去甲肾上腺素等）并从混合运动的特点之一--低负荷的角度提出了混合运动的安全性。此外，委员会认为，结果表明，无论是低负荷运动，（与2 MET的动量一样多的氧摄取量，是坐着时的两倍）。8）施加电刺激以帮助因中风或脊髓损伤而行动不便的受试者的运动。9）所提出的混合锻炼方法被日本空间论坛接受为“空间利用的地面研究公告”。（2005年至2007年）。

Main results are summarized as follows :1) We proposed a training method to maintain or strengthen human musculoskeletal systems against disuse atrophy in weightless environments. The training method is called as "hybrid exercise" as the compound movement of electrically stimulated and voluntary contractions.2) The efficacy, and even the depth, of muscle stimulation during surface electrode neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) was clarified by using MRI T2 signal intensities.3) Stimulation devices including rotary sensors were developed for the hybrid exercise that can strengthen muscles around joints and exert force on adjacent bones effectively.4) The hybrid exercise showed the effective increasing of a muscle bulk and force and a bone mineral density at wrist, elbow, and knee joints.5) We also confirmed the effect of the hybrid exercise on the knee joint of subjects who engaged in unilateral lower limb suspension (ULLS) experiment of simulating microgravity.6) The ubiquitous intelligent suit having stimulation devices to stimulate some joints was assembled as a prototyped one between the universities and industries.7) Physiological and biochemical evaluation at the hybrid exercise (CK, blood pressure and a heart rate, lactic-acid value, VO_2, growth hormone, a noradrenalin, etc.) were tried and its safety was suggested from a viewpoint of the low load which is one of the features of the hybrid exercise. Moreover, it was shown that the exercise effect is high regardless of being by low load (as many oxygen uptake as this momentum of 2METs which are twice at sitting).8) Electrical stimulations were applied to assist the motion of subjects having mobility impairments due to stroke or spinal cord injury.9) The proposed hybrid exercise method was accepted by Japan Space Forum as "Ground-based Research Announcement for Space Utilization" (2005 to 2007).