Effects of exposure to high gravity?

Question

I you were to spend lets say an hour a day in a centrifuge pulling 3 g's or so, would it have any noticable effect on your heart lungs and other muscles?

Answer 1

Just like any exercise, you'd have to build up gradually.  Start with 1.1Gs for an hour at a time for a week then do 1.2Gs for an hour at a time for a week and so on.  If you just suddenly had 3Gs for a long time (24 hours) and you weren't already physically fit my guess is you'd be very sore and very tired very fast.

Answer 2

If you had any sort of cardiovascular defects, then the increased gravity would surely cause them to kill you a lot sooner than at normal Earth gravity, because your heart would have to work a lot harder to pump your blood, even at rest. I'm not sure whether the heart can actually gain muscle mass or not, but if it does, then it could certainly be a benefit if you could survive the high-g stress at first.

The rest of your muscles would get stronger very quickly under these conditions.

Answer 3

Extended time at 3 Gs would serously restrict your circulation.

You could expect edema, varicosities, possible blood clots in lower extremities.

If you attempted much movement you could expect muscle strains / tendon damage.

(Imagine trying to walk with two of you sitting on your shoulders.)

Answer 4

You would have to spend extended time in zero g to see muscle and bone loss.

if you were on say a high g planet for an extended time ther may be significant muscle increase, bone density increase etc.