1
00:00:04,470 --> 00:00:02,470
and we mentioned that earlier today some

2
00:00:07,110 --> 00:00:04,480
of the crew members spent time taking

3
00:00:09,750 --> 00:00:07,120
ultrasound images of their spines and

4
00:00:12,629 --> 00:00:09,760
also body measurements these activities

5
00:00:14,709 --> 00:00:12,639
are part of a large array of experiments

6
00:00:16,710 --> 00:00:14,719
that are trying to find out how spending

7
00:00:18,790 --> 00:00:16,720
a long time in weightlessness impacts

8
00:00:20,070 --> 00:00:18,800
the human body

9
00:00:21,990 --> 00:00:20,080
all of that is of course done with an

10
00:00:23,269 --> 00:00:22,000
eye toward correcting the negative

11
00:00:24,950 --> 00:00:23,279
results of that

12
00:00:27,029 --> 00:00:24,960
another one of those experiments is

13
00:00:29,910 --> 00:00:27,039
directly aimed at what the crew members

14
00:00:32,229 --> 00:00:29,920
eat and how a certain diet might help

15
00:00:34,310 --> 00:00:32,239
them stay fit that investigation is

16
00:00:36,389 --> 00:00:34,320
called pro-k and the principal

17
00:00:38,630 --> 00:00:36,399
investigator is with me this morning dr

18
00:00:40,549 --> 00:00:38,640
scott m smith is a researcher in the

19
00:00:42,389 --> 00:00:40,559
biomedical research and environmental

20
00:00:45,670 --> 00:00:42,399
sciences division here at the johnson

21
00:00:48,389 --> 00:00:45,680
space center in houston pro k is looking

22
00:00:50,389 --> 00:00:48,399
into whether a particular diet can

23
00:00:51,270 --> 00:00:50,399
help in when it comes to bone and muscle

24
00:00:53,910 --> 00:00:51,280
loss

25
00:00:56,310 --> 00:00:53,920
where did the idea for using food as a

26
00:00:57,189 --> 00:00:56,320
counter measure come from

27
00:00:58,950 --> 00:00:57,199
well

28
00:01:00,229 --> 00:00:58,960
first let me step back and say that that

29
00:01:02,950 --> 00:01:00,239
i lead what's called the nutritional

30
00:01:04,710 --> 00:01:02,960
biochemistry lab here at jsc

31
00:01:05,830 --> 00:01:04,720
and our job is to understand the role of

32
00:01:09,350 --> 00:01:05,840
nutrition

33
00:01:10,630 --> 00:01:09,360
in keeping people healthy during flight

34
00:01:11,910 --> 00:01:10,640
sorry

35
00:01:13,270 --> 00:01:11,920
and

36
00:01:16,230 --> 00:01:13,280
you know it's it's very well known that

37
00:01:17,749 --> 00:01:16,240
nutrition is critical for bone health

38
00:01:20,789 --> 00:01:17,759
things like vitamin d

39
00:01:22,550 --> 00:01:20,799
calcium are the more obvious

40
00:01:24,230 --> 00:01:22,560
nutrients that we associate with bone

41
00:01:25,429 --> 00:01:24,240
health but there's a lot of things that

42
00:01:28,070 --> 00:01:25,439
are involved

43
00:01:30,230 --> 00:01:28,080
in the diet that can impact

44
00:01:32,950 --> 00:01:30,240
on bone and

45
00:01:34,789 --> 00:01:32,960
the pro-k experiment came out of

46
00:01:36,469 --> 00:01:34,799
some literature in the in the general

47
00:01:38,390 --> 00:01:36,479
field of nutrition

48
00:01:39,510 --> 00:01:38,400
looking at the relationship of dietary

49
00:01:41,109 --> 00:01:39,520
protein

50
00:01:43,670 --> 00:01:41,119
and bone health

51
00:01:46,069 --> 00:01:43,680
and we did some studies on the ground

52
00:01:48,630 --> 00:01:46,079
bed rest studies where we put people to

53
00:01:50,149 --> 00:01:48,640
bed to simulate the effects of

54
00:01:51,910 --> 00:01:50,159
for a long period of time for a long

55
00:01:54,870 --> 00:01:51,920
period of time

56
00:01:56,709 --> 00:01:54,880
and what we're looking at is the

57
00:01:58,230 --> 00:01:56,719
the relationship of what they what they

58
00:02:00,789 --> 00:01:58,240
ate and bone

59
00:02:02,310 --> 00:02:00,799
and we found a pretty clear relationship

60
00:02:05,749 --> 00:02:02,320
between

61
00:02:08,229 --> 00:02:05,759
animal protein that we dub pro

62
00:02:10,229 --> 00:02:08,239
and potassium which is the chemical

63
00:02:12,630 --> 00:02:10,239
abbreviation for potassium is k

64
00:02:14,470 --> 00:02:12,640
and thus the the name pro k

65
00:02:16,710 --> 00:02:14,480
uh was born as we started developing

66
00:02:18,309 --> 00:02:16,720
this as a flight experiment and the

67
00:02:20,390 --> 00:02:18,319
premise here is to

68
00:02:22,390 --> 00:02:20,400
feed them more or less of one or the

69
00:02:24,070 --> 00:02:22,400
other to find out and find out the

70
00:02:25,270 --> 00:02:24,080
result that's that's absolutely right

71
00:02:28,150 --> 00:02:25,280
and what we're doing

72
00:02:30,630 --> 00:02:28,160
is modifying the ratio of those two

73
00:02:32,869 --> 00:02:30,640
things animal protein and potassium in

74
00:02:34,790 --> 00:02:32,879
the diet and it's that's a key thing to

75
00:02:36,070 --> 00:02:34,800
get from a nutrition point of view

76
00:02:38,790 --> 00:02:36,080
we're not talking about lower high

77
00:02:40,470 --> 00:02:38,800
protein diets the protein is constant

78
00:02:42,869 --> 00:02:40,480
across the study

79
00:02:45,670 --> 00:02:42,879
all we're looking is the balance between

80
00:02:48,309 --> 00:02:45,680
animal protein or red meat if you like

81
00:02:49,670 --> 00:02:48,319
and potassium and potassium tends to be

82
00:02:51,350 --> 00:02:49,680
rich in things like fruits and

83
00:02:53,990 --> 00:02:51,360
vegetables

84
00:02:57,030 --> 00:02:54,000
also nuts and other things like that

85
00:02:58,790 --> 00:02:57,040
any theory going in as to why these two

86
00:02:59,990 --> 00:02:58,800
things were that important why they were

87
00:03:01,030 --> 00:03:00,000
having the effect on the bed rest

88
00:03:03,830 --> 00:03:01,040
patients

89
00:03:06,070 --> 00:03:03,840
well it really it really bounces back to

90
00:03:08,470 --> 00:03:06,080
what we call acid-base balance

91
00:03:11,670 --> 00:03:08,480
and what happens in your body is that

92
00:03:14,309 --> 00:03:11,680
your body and your bones

93
00:03:16,470 --> 00:03:14,319
don't respond well if you will to

94
00:03:17,350 --> 00:03:16,480
an acid load okay

95
00:03:18,630 --> 00:03:17,360
and i

96
00:03:20,470 --> 00:03:18,640
it's probably not the best choice of

97
00:03:22,149 --> 00:03:20,480
words but what happens when your body's

98
00:03:24,309 --> 00:03:22,159
presented with an acid

99
00:03:26,229 --> 00:03:24,319
is it needs to maintain

100
00:03:27,190 --> 00:03:26,239
your your blood ph your blood levels of

101
00:03:28,630 --> 00:03:27,200
acid

102
00:03:30,149 --> 00:03:28,640
one of the ways it does that is by

103
00:03:31,670 --> 00:03:30,159
breaking down bone

104
00:03:33,830 --> 00:03:31,680
because when your body breaks down bone

105
00:03:35,589 --> 00:03:33,840
it releases calcium carbonate which

106
00:03:36,789 --> 00:03:35,599
neutralizes that acid

107
00:03:37,750 --> 00:03:36,799
okay

108
00:03:39,350 --> 00:03:37,760
what

109
00:03:41,350 --> 00:03:39,360
again the premise the experiment is is

110
00:03:43,990 --> 00:03:41,360
that the animal protein

111
00:03:47,910 --> 00:03:44,000
is rich in things that are converted to

112
00:03:50,949 --> 00:03:47,920
acid in the body and potassium

113
00:03:54,630 --> 00:03:50,959
is associated with compounds in the food

114
00:03:56,229 --> 00:03:54,640
that will neutralize acid or other bases

115
00:03:57,910 --> 00:03:56,239
if you will

116
00:03:59,750 --> 00:03:57,920
and by it's the balance of those two

117
00:04:01,830 --> 00:03:59,760
things you're trying to minimize the

118
00:04:03,589 --> 00:04:01,840
acid load and you either you know you

119
00:04:06,149 --> 00:04:03,599
bring that down by consuming

120
00:04:08,470 --> 00:04:06,159
either less animal protein or

121
00:04:09,830 --> 00:04:08,480
more fruits and vegetables and and we

122
00:04:12,710 --> 00:04:09,840
wanted to see

123
00:04:14,949 --> 00:04:12,720
if by adjusting that ratio

124
00:04:16,469 --> 00:04:14,959
if we could mitigate or lessen

125
00:04:18,469 --> 00:04:16,479
some of the bone breakdown that we see

126
00:04:20,310 --> 00:04:18,479
during space flight all right for the

127
00:04:23,749 --> 00:04:20,320
crew members who are involved in this

128
00:04:24,950 --> 00:04:23,759
what is it that they actually have to do

129
00:04:27,270 --> 00:04:24,960
talk through the process and we have

130
00:04:29,510 --> 00:04:27,280
some photographs that we can show of the

131
00:04:31,270 --> 00:04:29,520
of different steps along the way okay

132
00:04:33,749 --> 00:04:31,280
well this you know again when we talk to

133
00:04:35,430 --> 00:04:33,759
the crews about participating this uh it

134
00:04:37,909 --> 00:04:35,440
is a dietary study that is the the

135
00:04:39,590 --> 00:04:37,919
primary thrust of this uh we work with

136
00:04:40,469 --> 00:04:39,600
the crews ahead of time to come up with

137
00:04:43,110 --> 00:04:40,479
two

138
00:04:45,270 --> 00:04:43,120
different menus one that is high

139
00:04:46,629 --> 00:04:45,280
animal protein to potassium ratio and

140
00:04:48,469 --> 00:04:46,639
one that is low

141
00:04:49,670 --> 00:04:48,479
animal protein and potassium ratio so

142
00:04:51,270 --> 00:04:49,680
again one

143
00:04:52,870 --> 00:04:51,280
would tend to have more red meat less

144
00:04:54,629 --> 00:04:52,880
fruits and vegetables

145
00:04:57,110 --> 00:04:54,639
the other would tend to have more

146
00:05:00,469 --> 00:04:57,120
vegetable protein things like nuts

147
00:05:01,189 --> 00:05:00,479
beans a little less red meat

148
00:05:04,150 --> 00:05:01,199
and

149
00:05:05,909 --> 00:05:04,160
stuff that comes up in their regular

150
00:05:07,510 --> 00:05:05,919
food containers well it's the regular

151
00:05:10,150 --> 00:05:07,520
food but we actually put it in a special

152
00:05:12,070 --> 00:05:10,160
container that for a period of four days

153
00:05:13,830 --> 00:05:12,080
they eat that menu that we've planned

154
00:05:15,749 --> 00:05:13,840
for them ahead of time that's correct

155
00:05:16,950 --> 00:05:15,759
um so for four days they'll consume this

156
00:05:18,310 --> 00:05:16,960
special diet

157
00:05:21,590 --> 00:05:18,320
at the end of those four days they'll

158
00:05:23,830 --> 00:05:21,600
collect um a urine sample for 24 hours

159
00:05:25,990 --> 00:05:23,840
they'll collect all their urine for us

160
00:05:27,590 --> 00:05:26,000
in what we call urine collection devices

161
00:05:28,710 --> 00:05:27,600
and at the end of that they'll also

162
00:05:30,070 --> 00:05:28,720
collect

163
00:05:32,390 --> 00:05:30,080
a blood sample and there you can see

164
00:05:37,029 --> 00:05:32,400
sunny williams with a urine collection

165
00:05:39,029 --> 00:05:37,039
device and in in a ziploc bag there

166
00:05:40,550 --> 00:05:39,039
and you said also there's bones uh blood

167
00:05:41,830 --> 00:05:40,560
samples that are taken that's correct so

168
00:05:43,110 --> 00:05:41,840
we collect urine samples and then at the

169
00:05:45,189 --> 00:05:43,120
end we collect a blood sample and here

170
00:05:47,350 --> 00:05:45,199
you can see uh somebody collecting blood

171
00:05:48,390 --> 00:05:47,360
uh right there um one of those tubes is

172
00:05:50,550 --> 00:05:48,400
filled with blood the other one is

173
00:05:51,909 --> 00:05:50,560
getting ready and then the samples both

174
00:05:53,670 --> 00:05:51,919
the blood and the urine samples will go

175
00:05:55,990 --> 00:05:53,680
into the freezer

176
00:05:57,990 --> 00:05:56,000
it's the melphia some -80 laboratory

177
00:05:59,670 --> 00:05:58,000
freezer for iss

178
00:06:01,510 --> 00:05:59,680
and they will stay in that freezer until

179
00:06:03,830 --> 00:06:01,520
they come home

180
00:06:05,670 --> 00:06:03,840
on a return vehicle and you know in the

181
00:06:07,590 --> 00:06:05,680
early days of the experiment we would

182
00:06:10,710 --> 00:06:07,600
bring samples home on the shuttle

183
00:06:13,189 --> 00:06:10,720
and now with the shuttle retired spacex

184
00:06:14,390 --> 00:06:13,199
has been our primary ride home so

185
00:06:15,990 --> 00:06:14,400
we're actually

186
00:06:18,070 --> 00:06:16,000
very anxious and looking forward to this

187
00:06:20,710 --> 00:06:18,080
next spacex mission because i think

188
00:06:23,350 --> 00:06:20,720
there's about seven subjects worth of

189
00:06:24,629 --> 00:06:23,360
samples on board station right now

190
00:06:26,790 --> 00:06:24,639
that will come home with this next

191
00:06:28,390 --> 00:06:26,800
landing you got any

192
00:06:31,189 --> 00:06:28,400
feedback from the crew members that

193
00:06:33,749 --> 00:06:31,199
about liking or disliking the food they

194
00:06:36,309 --> 00:06:33,759
have to eat for this well again as you

195
00:06:37,909 --> 00:06:36,319
said it is it's food from their nominal

196
00:06:39,270 --> 00:06:37,919
food system so it's things they eat on a

197
00:06:42,550 --> 00:06:39,280
regular basis

198
00:06:44,230 --> 00:06:42,560
um as as i typically say

199
00:06:46,390 --> 00:06:44,240
as soon as you tell somebody what to eat

200
00:06:47,670 --> 00:06:46,400
uh it becomes a nuisance even if it was

201
00:06:48,469 --> 00:06:47,680
what you wanted to eat as soon as i tell

202
00:06:49,670 --> 00:06:48,479
you this is what you're going to eat

203
00:06:52,629 --> 00:06:49,680
today

204
00:06:54,629 --> 00:06:52,639
it becomes a bit of a bother so

205
00:06:56,230 --> 00:06:54,639
we've taken some ribbing over the course

206
00:06:57,670 --> 00:06:56,240
of the experiment

207
00:06:59,110 --> 00:06:57,680
and crews will tell you that even if you

208
00:07:01,110 --> 00:06:59,120
like the food again

209
00:07:02,469 --> 00:07:01,120
after four days it gets a little old and

210
00:07:03,990 --> 00:07:02,479
one of my favorite comments was one of

211
00:07:05,990 --> 00:07:04,000
the crew members

212
00:07:07,270 --> 00:07:06,000
they had finished the week before and

213
00:07:09,350 --> 00:07:07,280
one of their crewmates was then doing

214
00:07:10,710 --> 00:07:09,360
the four days uh and that crew member

215
00:07:13,110 --> 00:07:10,720
was very proud to proclaim that that

216
00:07:14,790 --> 00:07:13,120
week they were on the no k diet meaning

217
00:07:17,029 --> 00:07:14,800
that they didn't have to do this but

218
00:07:18,710 --> 00:07:17,039
other than that um the

219
00:07:20,309 --> 00:07:18,720
crew participation has been phenomenal

220
00:07:21,990 --> 00:07:20,319
and they've done a great job with us and

221
00:07:25,110 --> 00:07:22,000
you've gotten samples back from a number

222
00:07:26,870 --> 00:07:25,120
of crew members so far any early

223
00:07:28,870 --> 00:07:26,880
take on what you've found from them so

224
00:07:29,589 --> 00:07:28,880
far um we do have some back and it's

225
00:07:31,189 --> 00:07:29,599
still

226
00:07:32,550 --> 00:07:31,199
it's a little bit early but i will tell

227
00:07:34,469 --> 00:07:32,560
you that um

228
00:07:35,749 --> 00:07:34,479
from the data we've seen so far we're

229
00:07:36,870 --> 00:07:35,759
still confident that we're on the right

230
00:07:39,909 --> 00:07:36,880
path

231
00:07:42,790 --> 00:07:39,919
we've seen things like the the diet

232
00:07:44,950 --> 00:07:42,800
the different diets do align with

233
00:07:46,390 --> 00:07:44,960
ph of the urine for example

234
00:07:47,909 --> 00:07:46,400
which tells us we're on the right track

235
00:07:48,869 --> 00:07:47,919
and we have seen some

236
00:07:50,550 --> 00:07:48,879
indication that we're seeing

237
00:07:53,990 --> 00:07:50,560
relationships of

238
00:07:55,670 --> 00:07:54,000
um urinary ph or urinary acid

239
00:07:57,029 --> 00:07:55,680
with changes in bone

240
00:07:58,390 --> 00:07:57,039
uh but it's still a little early again

241
00:07:59,830 --> 00:07:58,400
we're waiting on

242
00:08:02,710 --> 00:07:59,840
that next batch of samples and we're

243
00:08:04,869 --> 00:08:02,720
waiting these last few crew members

244
00:08:07,830 --> 00:08:04,879
mike hopkins right now is is our next to

245
00:08:09,029 --> 00:08:07,840
last subject and then reid wiseman later

246
00:08:10,629 --> 00:08:09,039
this year

247
00:08:13,350 --> 00:08:10,639
will be the final subject in this

248
00:08:15,830 --> 00:08:13,360
experiment if you find that

249
00:08:17,909 --> 00:08:15,840
adjusting the diet has some impact on

250
00:08:20,390 --> 00:08:17,919
bone loss that sounds like something

251
00:08:23,189 --> 00:08:20,400
that could that might be easily applied

252
00:08:25,430 --> 00:08:23,199
to people on earth to be able to fight

253
00:08:27,430 --> 00:08:25,440
bone loss by diet

254
00:08:29,029 --> 00:08:27,440
absolutely and we you know from space by

255
00:08:30,629 --> 00:08:29,039
first perspective

256
00:08:32,790 --> 00:08:30,639
we always maintain that you know if we

257
00:08:33,670 --> 00:08:32,800
can modify the diet to help lessen bone

258
00:08:36,469 --> 00:08:33,680
loss

259
00:08:38,149 --> 00:08:36,479
that provides a zero cost counter

260
00:08:39,670 --> 00:08:38,159
measure that is we're already feeding

261
00:08:41,909 --> 00:08:39,680
the crews so it doesn't take any extra

262
00:08:44,710 --> 00:08:41,919
time it doesn't take any extra up mass

263
00:08:46,310 --> 00:08:44,720
it doesn't take you know anything but

264
00:08:49,190 --> 00:08:46,320
what we're already doing we just got to

265
00:08:51,430 --> 00:08:49,200
to tweak the nominal diet and then the

266
00:08:53,910 --> 00:08:51,440
implications on earth are just as are

267
00:08:56,310 --> 00:08:53,920
just as profound that is if people can

268
00:08:58,070 --> 00:08:56,320
alter their diets

269
00:08:59,269 --> 00:08:58,080
this could have have tremendous impact

270
00:09:04,870 --> 00:08:59,279
on

271
00:09:06,790 --> 00:09:04,880
it's uh very interesting and look

272
00:09:08,150 --> 00:09:06,800
forward to seeing more of the results

273
00:09:09,829 --> 00:09:08,160
thanks for coming this morning thank you