Science Report
01/02/2013
Carlos Giraldo
The purpose of my study was to determine if conducting
exercise in isolation and confinement will affect mood. My study has
two different types of workouts, one that is of moderate difficulty
and another that is more advanced. The purpose of this is to determine
if increasing the intensity and difficulty would impact mood. The time
intervals for both workouts were kept the same, so duration of
workouts would not be a variable to the outcome. The two independent
variables in my study are consistency and intensity. We will be
conducting both workouts three times every other day and switching
between moderate and advanced protocols.
The way that my study is conducted is by waking up every
other day at 0700 to prepare oneself to begin exercising at 0730. At
that time we would begin with a five-minute preparation drill, which
includes eight different muscle-warming workouts. After a short pause
we would conduct either a moderate or advanced workout depending on
the schedule. Both of the workouts target all five major muscle
groups: chest, back, arms, legs, and abs. Between each exercise there
is a 15 to 30 second break and between each muscle group there is a 60
to 90 second water break. After finishing the workout a recovery drill
is conducted which consists of five stretches to reduce the chances of
injuries and cramps. Both the preparation, drill and the recovery
drill last five minutes each. Both the moderate and advanced workouts
last 35 minutes. The full workout takes a total of 45 minutes.
After the workout is performed a POMS (profile of mood
states) survey will be administered to determine which workout, if
any, affects the crews’ mood while under confinement. I chose to
conduct this study in an effort to find a solution to fluctuations in
astronauts’ mood during long duration spaceflight, as it is important
to maintain a positive mood while under extreme isolation and
confinement.
Carlos Giraldo