Incredible way living on Mars will change human body forever from stretched limbs to puffy faces

FUTURE humans living on Mars will undergo drastic physical changes and may even develop into a new sub-species, an expert has told The Sun.

Kyle Zagrodzky, founder of OsteoStrong, a company that specialises in bone health, explained that an unforgiving Martian environment could push humans to evolve into haunting versions of their "Earthling cousins".

At first, Mars-bound astronauts will feel pretty good, according to Zagrodzky, as the lower level of gravity eases the weight on their bones and joints.

"New comers would have a massive physical advantage in the short run," he said, before grimly stating: "Until their bones and muscles are down regulated."

Living in Martian gravity - about 38% of Earth's gravity - over extended periods is expected to have significant effects on the human body.

Optimistic estimates from a 2020 Stanford study found that astronauts on a three year mission to Mars and back would lose a third of their bone density.

Around half of them could go on to develop osteoporosis.

"For new adult visitors, spine elongation would probably the first noticeable change," Zagrodzky continued.

"Other than a change in the distribution of fat, which might look more and more strange over time, we probably wouldn’t see significant outward physical changes in adults going to visit Mars for short periods of time."

How long does it take to get to Mars?

It's not that short of a trip...

• There’s an immense distance between Earth and Mars, which means any trip to the red planet will take a very long time
• It’s also made more complicated by the fact that the distance is constantly changing as the two planets rotate around the sun
• The closest that the Earth and Mars would ever be is a distance of 33.9million miles – that’s 9,800 times the distance between London and New York
• That’s really rare though: the more useful distance is the average, which is 140million miles
• Scientists on Earth have already launched a whole bunch of spacecraft to (or near) Mars, so we have a rough idea of how long it takes with current technology
• Historically, the trip has taken anywhere from 128 to 333 days – admittedly a huge length of time for humans to be on board a cramped spacecraft.
• A realistic travel time for a crewed mission would be roughly two to three years.

Grand plans to colonise Mars baffle the likes of Zagrodzky, who is deeply unsure of how humans will "survive" the harsh environment.

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But if Elon Musk's vision of the future is realised, humans could be living on Mars indefinitely in the not-so-distant future.

The eccentric billionaire, and the brain behind SpaceX, wants to take humans to Mars in less than 10 years and build a city there in two decades.

"New generations born on Mars would likely look and more much differently the their Earthling cousins," Zagrodzky noted.

Asked what this new generation of humans could look like, Zagrodzky said: "Changes in fat distribution, making faces look puffier would likely be the first changes we’d see.

"One new generation growing up from birth would look a lot different, especially post puberty."

Without the effects of Earth’s gravity, I would expect that humans would be substantially weaker across the board: Bone, muscle and cardiovascular development would be greatly hindered.

Mars-born humans would not on only have rounder faces, but longer spines and limbs.

They may also be chronically pale due to warped cardiovascular development.

"On earth, significant adaptations happen during the early growth years and through puberty," explained Zagrodzky.

"Without the effects of Earth’s gravity, I would expect that humans would be substantially weaker across the board: Bone, muscle and cardiovascular development would be greatly hindered."

Martian humans would be far weaker than their Earthling cousins, and would be wrestling with the consequences of cosmic radiation and disrupted blood glucose levels.

Weak, under developed muscles would likely have fewer insulin receptors, and I’d imagine that Type 2 Diabetes would be a one of many serious issues that Martians would face.

"Muscles are used for more than strength," said Zagrodzky.

"They also contain insulin receptors that are critical for regulating blood glucose levels.

"Weak, under developed muscles would likely have fewer insulin receptors, and I’d imagine that Type 2 Diabetes would be a one of many serious issues that Martians would face."

How Mars could change humans over 5, 10, and 50 years

Here’s a breakdown of how Zagrodzky reckons humans could evolve over five, 10, and 50 years on Mars:

5 Years

1. Muscle and Bone Loss: Even with exercise, muscles and bones would weaken due to reduced stress on them. Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) experience similar effects in microgravity. On Mars, this might be less severe than in space, but significant muscle atrophy and bone density loss would still occur.
2. Cardiovascular System: The heart may weaken because it doesn't need to work as hard to pump blood in lower gravity. Blood circulation might be less efficient, and there could be changes in blood volume and distribution.
3. Balance and Coordination: People may experience changes in their sense of balance and coordination as their inner ear, which helps with balance, adjusts to the lower gravity.

10 Years

1. Adaptation of Musculoskeletal System: Over time, the human body might partially adapt, with muscles and bones stabilizing at a new, lower level of mass and density. However, returning to Earth could pose significant challenges, as the body would struggle to cope with Earth's stronger gravity.
2. Changes in Body Shape: With prolonged exposure, the body could undergo structural changes, such as elongated spine or changes in the way fat is distributed, as gravity impacts posture and body mechanics differently.
3. Psychological Effects: The constant awareness of a lighter body and different movement dynamics could alter spatial awareness. There might also be psychological effects due to the isolation and confinement on Mars, which could impact mental health and behavior.

50 Years

1. Genetic and Epigenetic Changes: Over several generations, humans born on Mars might evolve adaptations to the lower gravity. There would likely be a potential for genetic mutations or epigenetic changes. This could result in a population with different physical traits, such as longer limbs or less dense bones.
2. Potential for a New Human Variant: If humans were to live on Mars for multiple generations, it's possible that a distinct "Martian" human variant could emerge, adapted to the conditions of Mars. These changes could make it challenging for them to visit or live on Earth.
3. Long-term Health Issues: Chronic exposure to lower gravity could lead to long-term health issues, including weakened cardiovascular systems, potential immune system alterations, and increased vulnerability to certain diseases due to weakened muscles and bones.

In March, Volodymyr Usov, former chairman of Ukraine's national space agency turned cosmic entrepreneur, told The Sun that we'd need genetically modified astronauts to colonise Mars.

He agreed that our biology that is holding us back from colonising other planets.

While Musk and his billionaire posse build the transport, Usov reckons private industry and scientists should be investing more in adapting human biology for space.

If we don't, he says, long-term space travel will be practically impossible.

'Distinct Martian variant'

A "a distinct "Martian" human variant" could emerge should humans live on Mars for multiple generations.

But a sci-fi vision of the future where Earthlings and Martians planet hop for holidays will be difficult to achieve.

Fractures would come easily to these poor souls.

Our Mars cousins would have a very hard time adapting if they came to visit Earth, and would have to strength train just to walk around.

Zagrodzky added; "It would be substantially more difficult without long term physical preparation.

"Weaker cardiovascular systems, bones and muscles, would make the simplest of tasks very challenging.

"Imagine your body, and everything you pick up being about 2.5 times heavier. Fractures would come easily to these poor souls."

Terraforming Mars – what does it mean, and how does it work?

Here's what you need to know...

• Terraforming Mars is a hypothetical process – which means it hasn’t been tested as a theory
• The idea is that we could change the surface and climate of Mars
• The end result would be making significant areas of Mars hospitable to humans
• This would make it easier to colonise the red planet
• Scientists believe that it’s possible to import greenhouse gases
• This would help Mars retain carbon dioxide, creating a greenhouse warming effect
• Some experts believe Mars exists on the outer edge of the habitable zone
• This is the region in our Solar System where liquid water on the surface of a planet can be supported
• It’s believed that Mars once had a thick Earth-like atmosphere, and even supported abundant liquid at the surface
• This makes Mars a great candidate for terraforming, at least relative to the other planets in our Solar System