Changes in the human lumbo-pelvic (LP) muscles with unloading has received little attention in microgravity research, even though this body region has evolved with the development of upright posture in 1-g. This study used a specific movement task to examine the function of four LP muscles during 8-weeks of bed-rest and one-year follow-up. The main finding was the development of overactivity in the abdominal internal oblique muscle in the follow-up period. This finding implies that the L-P muscle changes occurring during bed-rest do not recover on return to the 1-g environment. These results may have implications for musculo-skeletal health for those in sedentary lifestyles on Earth.
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