Fluid volume changes and LBNP response after simulated weightlessness with varied oral sodium supply

There is evidence on body fluid volume effects of head-down tilt bed rest [1] and altered oral sodium supply [2,3], but the combined impact of both has not been investigated in detail. We therefore studied circulatory adaptation to 8 days -6° head down bed rest (HDBR) with different levels (≈140 to ≈430 mM/d) of oral sodium load (SL). We expected decreased extracellular volume and increased aldosterone and PRA levels with low sodium load, and hypothesized that these effects get exaggerated with additional HDBR, also influencing lower body suction (LBNP) responses. Variations in sodium status seem to influence plasma but not interstitial volume, confirming recent results of another group who used different experimental conditions [3].