"We found that astronauts had significantly less fat in their bone marrow about a month after returning to Earth," senior study author Guy Trudel, a rehabilitation physician and researcher at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa, said in"We think the body is using this fat to help replace red blood cells and rebuild bone that has been lost during space travel," Trudel added.
Trudel's larger study, called Marrow, examines the bony cells that produce fat, red blood cells and white blood cells. The study wrapped up active collection of samples in 2020 but continues to push new frontiers in science as data is parsed. For example, an investigation published in 2022Red cell production is key to human health, as healthy red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body.