Researchers Develop New Exercise for Lunar Inhabitants: Running Inside the Wheel of Death

SPACE — Anyone who spends a long time in a low-gravity environment like the moon will experience bodily changes. Their muscles break down, bones lose mass, and control over the whole body decreases.

Because of this, astronauts who spend time outside the Earth’s atmosphere must practice on their missions. Without physical fitness, they will struggle to function, even at a basic level when they return to Earth’s gravity.

Now, researchers from the University of Milan have devised a new type of exercise to keep future lunar inhabitants in shape. This means running inside the Wheel of Death.

The Wheel of Death, as seen in circuses and amusement parks on Earth, usually consists of a large ring placed on its side. The unlucky participant must ride on the inside of the wheel fast enough to avoid falling under the influence of gravity and falling off the wheel.

Read also: 10 terrible things that could happen if the moon left the sky

In the gravity of the earth, it is very difficult for human feet to achieve this, even impossible. Anyone who wants to ride the Wheel of Death needs some form of motorized transport, usually a motorbike. But on the moon, with one-sixth of the depth of the Earth, people could run in the wheel. Therefore, the Wheel game can be a way to simulate running on a flat surface with much higher gravity.

Milan researchers have tested the possibility of applying the Wheel of Death to lunar habitats. They rented a 9.4-metre Wheel of Death and had two people running inside it, supported by bungee cords from above to simulate the gravity of the moon.

Both participants were able to climb onto the wheel, run inside it, and return to the ground safely after only five to eight attempts. When the researchers measured the speed, length of struggle and strength of the runners’ legs when they hit the ground, they concluded that they experienced conditions similar to those running on Earth.

With these results, the authors believe that a few laps around the Wheel of the Moon each day may be just what the doctor ordered to prevent body deterioration. The authors have published their work in the journal Royal Society Open Science on May 1, 2024. Source: Space.com