Acknowledgments

I would like to express my gratitude to those who enabled me to participate in this important research project. I am grateful to Prof dr Suzanne Schneider of the NASA Johnson Space Center Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Houston, TX, for assisting and guiding me throughout the study, Dr ing Jack van Loon of the Dutch Experiment Support Center (DESC), Amsterdam, for providing all his help and advice before and during the study, the United States Universities Space Research Organization (USRA), Houston, TX, for providing funding and the necessary visa, my colleagues at the Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Stuart Lee, Dr Alan Moore, Dr Jon Williams, Bill Amonette, Kristi Blazine, Mike Rapley, Jim Loehr and Jason Bentley for helping and supporting me throughout the study, all the subjects that participated in the study, Prof dr Peter Hollander of the Faculty of Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, for being my supervisor and last but not least, Moniek Landman, for being truly understanding Thanks you guys, I owe you one.

Edwin Mulder

August, 2001