French scientists are searching for young and fit men who can lie in bed for two months. Researchers from the Space Medical Institute in France are studying microgravity and its effects, and are offering volunteers up to $17,000 just to stay in bed.

A team from the Medes Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology in Toulouse University Hospital is searching for males who possess an athletic build, between the ages of 20 to 45 years old. They also should not possess any allergies and do not smoke, and maintain a body mass index of 22 to 27.

Like Us on Facebook

The team of scientists will select 24 candidates who will also be tested for two weeks prior to the actual experiment of spending two entire months lying on their backs, in bed. According to Arnaud Beck from the Medes Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology, the first two weeks will involve several intensive tests and measurements. They will then be required to spend a period of 60 days in bed with their head slightly shifted downwards for less than six degrees.

Lying in bed for a couple of months is not an easy task. Beck explains the general rule is to keep at least one shoulder touching the bed or the frame. More so, the volunteers are also required to eat and wash themselves in bed and complete all other bodily functions such as urinating and defecating as well.

Beck explained that this new study is about recreating the microgravity conditions onboard the International Space Station which is located in lower Earth orbit. Scientists hope to study the destructive effects of weightlessness on the human body during prolonged exposure and find solutions to combat those negative effects.

The researchers also add that these conditions can also greatly affect the cardiovascular system where blood pressure drops, and there is also vertigo observed. Astronauts who spend months in space also experience lesser bone density and struggle to maintain balance while standing up.

When two months of testing are completed, the volunteers will also undergo another series of tests to observe how the human body can recover from this microgravity experiment.