Do human beings grow taller in space? Here's what Yusaku Maezawa discovered aboard the ISS

Life in outer space is definitely not easy as astronauts, due to zero gravity, endure a lot of physical strain. Over the years, scientists have found that those who spent a few months in space are subjected to a wide range of complications such as vision problems and cognitive issues.

However, one apparent change which might seem fascinating to many is an increase in the height of astronauts. Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who concluded his first-ever space trip in December, has released a video verifying if the above change really happens. 

In the new video that he shot aboard the International Space Station (ISS), Maezawa cross-checks if human beings really grow taller in space. For confirmation, Maezawa had carried a measuring tape to the space station which he used to measure his height on the second day of his journey and compare it with the measurement on his final day. According to the billionaire, he measures 163 cm tall, as he was heard saying, and marked his height for comparison on the wall in his module. Surprisingly enough, his height measured two days after his arrival in the ISS turned out to be 164.3 cm, an increase even Maezawa was shocked about.

Although Maezawa did not experience any significant increment in his height by the time he left the ISS, something he called an error in measurement, he concluded that humans do grow taller in space. "I have grown 1.5cm-2 cm compared to when I was on Earth. So I believe that the myth that you grow taller in space due to weightlessness is in fact true," Maezawa said in the video. He even revealed that some of the astronauts that have lived aboard the ISS from six to 12 months have grown as much as 7cm. 

What causes people to grow taller in space?

The simple explanation for an increase in height in space is the lack of gravity. Since there is no gravity to pull you down in space, the body stretches and grows taller than usual. According to NASA, our height keeps changing throughout the day owing to gravity's effect. It is evident that we are taller while we lie down at night as gravity no longer compresses our bodies but our height shortens as we walk and move throughout the day. As for space, staying in weightlessness even for 3-4 days can increase the height of astronauts by approximately 3%.

(Image: @YusakuMaezawa/YouTube)