Lack of Geomagnetic Influence on Human Cardiorespiratory Adaptation to Chronic Environmental Stress During Antarctic Overwintering

Abstract

Background

Vostok Station, Antarctica (3488 m a.s.l., 624 hPa), is one of Earth's most extreme environments, characterised by chronic hypobaric hypoxia, extreme thermal stress, prolonged isolation, and unique geomagnetic conditions. This environment presents a unique terrestrial analogue for studying human adaptation challenges to long-duration spaceflight. While geomagnetic disturbances are theorised to modulate human physiology, evidence from chronically stressed cohorts under authentic isolation remains scarce.

Objective

To conduct a definitive correlation analysis evaluating geomagnetic disturbances' impacts (quantified via K-index) on core cardiorespiratory parameters: blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure, during wintering in Central Antarctica.

Methods

Longitudinal physiological monitoring was performed throughout 2019 (64th Russian Antarctic Expedition; n=11 males). Blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure were systematically assessed. Geomagnetic activity was monitored continuously. Non-parametric statistics (Kruskal-Wallis, Spearman, multiple regression) addressed non-normal distributions (α=0.05).

Results

SpO₂ demonstrated a significant decline after arriving at Vostok Station (p<0.001), with later significant positive changes in its level confirming hypoxic adaptation. Critically, robust statistical analysis revealed no significant associations between geomagnetic disturbance intensity (K-index) and any cardiorespiratory metric: blood oxygen saturation (p>0.05), heart rate (p>0.05), systolic blood pressure (p>0.05), and diastolic blood pressure (p>0.05). Regression modelling attributed blood oxygen saturation variance solely to wintering duration and heart rate (R=0.910, p<0.001).

Conclusion

This study provides strong evidence that moderate geomagnetic disturbances have no detectable immediate effects on cardiorespiratory function during chronic Antarctic overwintering. This strong negative finding contradicts existing biophysical models and supports the resilience of human physiology during prolonged periods of extreme isolation. The Vostok dataset establishes a critical benchmark for space medicine, highlighting the imperative to investigate higher-intensity geomagnetic disturbances, novel sensory mechanisms, and individual susceptibility.