Специалисты КВС адаптировали технологии подготовки космонавтов для тренировок подводников

Tyler Kung MSc., Emilie Miller MSc., and Etienne Chassé, MSc; CFMWS Human Performance Research and Development Team - CFMWS Human Performance Research & Development specialists adapted fitness expertise developed through work with Canadian astronauts for submarine operations. - A compact flywheel training device provides strength-training options without the weight, noise, and space demands of traditional gym equipment. - Submariners report that the system is easy to use and can improve access to exercise, morale, and overall fitness while deployed. – Over the past several years, the Human Performance Research & Development (HPR&D) team within the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (URL) has collaborated with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) through a formal partnership focused on astronaut fitness and occupational performance. This work includes developing fitness assessments and providing specialized exercise support to astronauts. Most recently, the team contributed to the fitness programming of Colonel Jeremy Hansen as he prepared for the historic Artemis II mission, the first crewed mission to travel around the Moon in more than 50 years. While supporting Canada’s human space program, the HPR&D team was also asked to help address another unique operational challenge much closer to home: supporting Royal Canadian Navy submarines. Spaceflight and submarine operations share similar constraints: space is limited; equipment must be compact and reliable; and maintaining physical fitness is critical to performance and well-being. To help address these challenges, Canadian submariners recently began using a flywheel training device. Unlike traditional gym equipment that relies on heavy weights, the flywheel uses spinning discs to create resistance. The harder a person accelerates the flywheel, the greater the force required to slow it down. This allows users to achieve a wide range of exercise intensities using only a few lightweight discs. For a submarine, this compact design offers important advantages. Traditional weights occupy valuable space, can create excessive noise, and may pose safety concerns in confined environments. The flywheel system provides an effective strength-training solution while minimizing these challenges. The response from submariners has been positive. One sailor commented, “Happy to have it on board. It took the place of our rowing machine almost instantly, and with countless more workout options.” Others described the device as exactly what they had hoped for, with comments such as, “Want to buy one” and “It is a very useful device that met the exact needs I thought it would.” Beyond its practical design, the system appears to improve the training experience at sea. Users reported that the device is easy to learn, quick to set up, and well suited to the size, durability, noise, and vibration requirements of the submarine environment. Perhaps most importantly, submariners noted benefits extending beyond physical fitness. One participant explained that the simplicity of the system allows crew members to fit effective workouts into their demanding schedules. Another reported that having easier access to exercise contributed to better morale while deployed at sea. One sailor summed up the impact by describing the flywheel session as “the first proper workout I have done on a submarine.” The project highlights how innovation developed for one extreme environment can often benefit another. Knowledge gained through supporting Canadian astronauts is now helping sailors maintain their health and readiness beneath the ocean. As one participant simply put it: “The machine is just awesome.” From space exploration to undersea operations, this collaboration demonstrates how Human Performance Research and Development from PSP can support those working in some of the world’s most challenging environments.