Peculiar characteristics of crewmembers' metabolism on the second expedition aboard orbital station Salyut-4.

This paper presents the results of metabolic studies of crew members on the second expedition aboard orbital station Salyut-4. Pre- and postflight medical examinations included measurements of a wide range of biochemical parameters characterising protein and carbohydrate metabolism, enzyme activity, energy exchange in red blood cells, hormone concentration, etc. It was shown that, during the 63-d flight and 7-d recovery period, crew-members developed no metabolic changes which could suggest pathologies. The changes were functional and seemed to be manifestations of adaptive reactions to space flight and return to 1 G. Elucidation of mechanisms of the reactions requires further study.