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	Home Talk Live Lori Contests Nutrition Homegrown Training Galleries Muscle Scoop Die Welt About Us		page 2   Beth Shepherd-NASA's Trainer of the Stars By Rob Wilkins Helping to prepare astronauts for and recover from space missions is Beth Shepherd, 43, a physical trainer and rehabilitation specialist for Johnson Space Center and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Shepherd has had an illustrious career, having paved the way for women in the sports world and now charting new territory in space. Shepherd's success began with an early interest in physical fitness during her school years. As a high school honor student and President of her senior class, Shepherd led Alexander High School, Alexander, NY as an All-County and All-State athlete in field hockey, volleyball, basketball, diving and softball. Born April 9, 1960 in Batavia, NY, Shepherd has two sisters and two brothers who all reside in New York State. She is married to Captain (Retired) William M. Shepherd, United States Navy (USN), a former Navy SEAL and astronaut. Captain Shepherd is a veteran of four space flights who has logged over 159 days in space. Bill was the commander of the first crew of the International Space Station (ISS). Shepherd received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education/Industrial Fitness from Slippery Rock University in 1982. As an undergraduate she was a Dean's List student, worked part-time as an exercise physiology lab assistant, and competed in field hockey and judo. Her success in judo included four team collegiate championships and placing in the top four at the national collegiate level three years in a row. In 1991, Shepherd earned a Master of Arts degree in Physical Education/Allied Health Research from Southwest Texas State University (SWTSU). As a graduate student at SWTSU, Shepherd began her career as a strength and conditioning coach by developing training programs for all the male and female athletic programs except for football and track & field. Relocating to Houston, in 1991, she became the fitness coordinator for the American General Executive Fitness Center and was responsible for developing exercise programs for large corporations and worked part time at Rice University as a strength and conditioning coach in the athletic department. In January of 1993, she was promoted to the position of head strength and conditioning coach at Rice University and became only the second woman in the nation to coach a Division I College Football Program. Thanks in part to her effective conditioning programs, the Rice football team tied for the Southwest Conference Championship and beat the University of Texas for the first time in 30 years. That same year she worked part-time as a consultant with Krug Life Sciences and NASA, and implemented strength and conditioning programs for astronauts at the Johnson Space Center. Beth's initial work at NASA focused on preparing astronauts for extravehicular activity (EVA) "space walks." This assignment was quickly expanded to include training for all astronauts assigned to long duration missions on the Russian Mir space station. Beth was a principal negotiator along with NASA flight surgeons, establishing and integrating the necessary medical operations and exercise countermeasures for the US and Russian programs. She participated in the design and development of two exercise devices now being used on the ISS, which included flights in zero-g simulation aircraft and exercise on special platforms to test these devices on Earth. In January of 1996, she was appointed to a full time position as the lead for NASA's Astronaut Strength, Conditioning and Rehabilitation (ASCR) program. As ASCR lead, she coordinates and executes the preflight preparation, in-flight monitoring, and post-flight rehabilitation of American astronauts who complete long-duration space missions on the Mir Space Station. She was assigned similar duties for selected astronauts preparing for Space Shuttle flights, including the physical training program for Senator John Glenn, who flew a second mission in space as a payload specialist aboard the Shuttle at age 77. The importance of strength training to astronauts has grown over the years as missions have increased and ways to correct the problematic effects of prolonged exposure to microgravity, which include bone loss, muscle wasting and loss of cardiovascular condition, are being investigated. Strength training has become a main element in the preparation of a space mission as it improves the astronaut's physical abilities and overall health. Canadian Astronaut, Colonel Chris Hadfield, a veteran of two missions, is a firm believer in the benefits of strength training. "Space walking is hard physical work. The suit is massive and stiff, and its internal pressure works against your every move. Going outside and building the Space Station often takes maximum reach, flexibility, and strength. All of these attributes are developed and increased through the Astronaut physical training program. "Bodies By Beth" helps get us ready to go to the edge of exploration and perform, especially when we only get one try at it," Hadfield said. Without sufficient exercise, astronauts may be at increased risk for falls, osteoporosis, and physical incapacitation during emergencies. Upon their return to Earth, astronauts often suffer from poor balance and routinely experience lightheadedness and nausea. "Prolonged periods of time in space leads to muscle atrophy and bone loss," Shepherd said. "At NASA, we're seeing significant bone loss in the hip, pelvis and head of the femur. While we can't completely stop bone loss, through a well-developed exercise program, we can definitely minimize it to the best of our abilities. The bottom line is, the stronger you are, the better you will do in flight as well as after you return." Exercise can reduce some of the physiological deficiencies associated with spaceflight, and getting the right exercise prescription is just what Shepherd is looking for. Currently training in Star City, Russia, I recently contacted her there and asked the following questions.