Blood Pressure and G Resiliance

[Xoxon]

I have low blood pressure and occasionally almost pass (go faint and dizzy) out when I stand up fast, particularly if I've done a large amount of exercise and/or not eaten for a while. Does this make me physiologically unsuited to aerobatics? Is there anything I can do about it?

Along similar lines, what is an ideal physique for high G resilience?
Why aren't pressure suits worn in competition?

[Pontius Navigator]

As usual you have omitted most relevant facts that would give people a clue.

How old are you?

How tall are you?

What is your build?

Are you fit?

Are you a runner?

If you are a tall, lanky, superfit slim built runner the short answer is you will be less well placed than a young, short, stocky well muscled weight lifter.

[Xoxon]

Dang.
30 y.o., 6'12", 75 odd kg, pretty thin kinda physique. I don't walk anywhere, yet alone run, but I do cycle and am pretty fit (resting heart rate 44 at my CAA medical).

How does fitness impact?
Am I guessing right that a strong heart is good but for some reason, having done a ton of exercise recently is bad?

Should I increase my consumption of saturated fats to raise my blood pressure (I've been looking for an excuse to eat more duck)?

[Pontius Navigator]

Dang.
30, 612", 75 odd kg, pretty thin kinda physique. I don't walk anywhere, yet alone run, but I do cycle and am pretty fit (resting heart rate 44 at my CAA medical).

How does fitness impact?
Am I guessing right that a strong heart is good but for some reason, having done a ton of exercise recently is bad?

Should I increase my consumption of saturated fats to raise my blood pressure (I've been looking for an excuse to eat more duck)?


This is a totally unqualified opinion but:

Your age is a little on the high side, your cycling suggests a good heart/lung capacity and good lower body strength - legs.

This could be the fitness problem as well developed leg muscle systems mean that blood will pool more in the legs than someone with more upper body muscle. Your height also supports this.

You need to increase your upper body strength and also use your leg muscles to strain during g-manouevre to constrict the blood vessels and reduce the pooling of blood and hence starvation to the brain. Stomach clenching is necessary too.

Look up gee tolerance training.

[gingernut]

It sounds like you have a naturally low bp, not usually seen as an issue in the UK, unless it's causing problems.

Your postural hypotension problems symptoms, (dizziness on standing) is predictable, so I guess manageable.

Can't advise you on acrobatics, I havn't the expertise, but I can't think of a medical solution to this problem.

Should I increase my consumption of saturated fats to raise my blood pressure (I've been looking for an excuse to eat more duck)?


No:) it won't make any difference to your problems, just clog up your arteries and give you new problems.


On the bright side, it's likely you'll live to a ripe old age.

Avoid dehydration and true quackery.

[tigerbatics]

Xoxon, The reasons 'G' suits are not worn in competition are, a) they work off a hydraulic system aerobatic machines haven't got, b) they are useless against negative 'G', c) in any event they react too slowly for competition flying, d) their purpose is to assist against sustained +'G' which is not experienced in contest flying.

Top level aerobatics takes pilots into a much higher 'G' area than military flying but the level is not sustained. The latest research I have found suggests that for a limit of 5 seconds the extent of the +'G' may go far higher than previously thought possible. Any more than 5 seconds ( and I mean even a fraction more) then problems arise even with experienced and current contest pilots.

Negative 'G' is a special case and only aerobatic pilots experience it. There is, by comparison, little research. The military have no interest and neither do NASA. However -'G' is the limiting factor.

Aerobic fitness is good to a point but too much reduces blood pressure and reduces tolerance as you have found. There always have been low 'G' tolerant persons as well as those who can stand high levels. You can increase your tolerance with exposure on a regular and frequent basis. (two weeks off and it will go down again).

Also by weight training and by learning how to brace your stomach and neck. Many pilots think they know how to do this but really it takes proper guidance and some practice.

The reason for the problem is that the slow heart rate and low pressure have a problem in keeping blood to the brain when it weighs a lot more than usual. This would be a particular problem in - to + figures.

[Pontius Navigator]

You will see elsewhere in the press and on pprune that Viagra has had some favourable press in this area recently.

[effortless]

I had low bp when I was young and this seemed to me to be beneficial in +g situation as I coped better than most. I was a poorer performer than my peers in -g. The MO put this down to my bp.

[Mac the Knife]

6'12"

Last time I looked there were 12" in a foot so that makes you 7ft tall - 213cm

I'd be more concerned about you fitting in the cockpit.

[tunic]

Xoxon
("I have low blood pressure and occasionally almost pass (go faint and dizzy) out when I stand up fast, particularly if I've done a large amount of exercise and/or not eaten for a while. Does this make me physiologically unsuited to aerobatics? Is there anything I can do about it?")
hey Xoxon,
I think at first u should consult with doctor then go for the other things.

[GSXR1K]

I´m 39, 6´2" and weigh a bit over 100 kgs. First thing i did after getting my PPL licence was a Basic Aerobatics course, and am now training for my first competition (in the "Sportsman" category, on an S2B).

I´ve done -3 and +6 Gs, and have had no problems whatsoever, though being on the tall side i´d supposedly do less well in sustained high G turns. Don´t know. Done 270 degrees competition turns pulling medium Gs with no problem at all.

I´m currently miserably unfit, btw.

My cholesterol levels aren´t the best around, wich i gess helps prevent blood escaping towards the feet in a hurry come "high" +G maneuvers (not that i´m recommending raising cholesterol levels here, mind! I´d swap mine for lower ones right now :E).

Anyway, if i had to gess, i´d say low blood pressure is not good for aerobatics (at least not for high +G), but i´m very far from being an expert, so there :}

I´ve read some interesting stuff on the subject on some issue of, i think, the "Journal of the British Aerobatic Association", wich you can find online (haven´t got the link here, sorry, but i´m sure you´ll find it easyly).

I understand that the best exercise you can do to prepare for high G is weight-lifting, as has been said here before. So i mainly do pint lifting these days :ok: (just kidding...sort of...)