German astronaut Matthias Maurer is at Fibo 2024 in Cologne, the world's largest fitness trade fair. He wanted to report on his experiences with a so-called system with electrical muscle stimulation that comes from the fitness industry.
The body ages 30 times faster in space if you don't do anything about it, says Maurer. Six months in space would make you 15 years older in terms of muscle and bone loss, says the 54-year-old. He no longer does any sport where there is a higher risk of injury - and is therefore no longer one of the country's football players. But he now voluntarily gives up sports like skiing or football, as the risk is simply too great if you want to fly into space again, he tells “Ippen Media’s” "I miss sports in the fresh air and swimming the most in space,” says the German astronaut of his favorite sports: cycling, running and swimming.. The weightlessness in space makes fitness training a challenge, and this is particularly important there.