Short-term effects of +Gz exposure on respiratory functions: results from human centrifuge training
Gulhane Medical Journal, cilt.68, sa.2, ss.118-126, 2026 (Scopus, TRDizin)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 68 Sayı: 2
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.4274/gulhane.galenos.2026.65668
- Dergi Adı: Gulhane Medical Journal
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, EMBASE, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM), Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.118-126
- Anahtar Kelimeler: +Gz accelerations, high G, hypergravity, pulmonary system, respiratory functions
- Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Aims: Military jet pilots are mandated to undergo human centrifuge training (HCT) to experience the adverse effects of +Gz acceleration during flight. The present study aimed to analyze short-term respiratory changes following +Gz exposure via pulmonary function testing (PFT) among jet pilots. Methods: This single-center, cross-sectional study was conducted among healthy military jet pilots. Participants were classified as smokers or non-smokers. Each participant underwent PFTs immediately before and after the HCT. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and forced expiratory flow at 25-75% (FEF25-75%) have been measured. The participants’ PFT parameters were evaluated to assess potential +Gz-related alterations. Results: The study included 21 male pilots with a mean age of 27.95±3.60 years. Ten (47.6%) pilots were active smokers. After HCT, significant improvements were observed in the mean values of FEV1 (4.45±0.55 vs. 4.55±0.57, p=0.001), FEV1/FVC (80.0±0.6 vs. 83.0±0.7, p=0.002), FEF25-75% (4.72±1.43 vs. 4.96±1.52, p=0.007), and MVV (169.3±28.6 vs. 181.5±32.4, p=0.002); however, no significant changes were observed in FVC or PEFR (p>0.05). Among smokers, significant post-training improvements were observed in FEV1, the FEV1/FVC ratio, and PEFR (p<0.05), whereas no significant changes were detected in FVC, FEF25-75%, or MVV (p>0.05). In non-smokers, significant increases were observed in FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and MVV (p<0.05), while the remaining parameters showed no significant changes. Conclusions: This study revealed that +Gz exposure was associated with short-term improvements in expiratory flow parameters and effort-dependent ventilatory performance in jet pilots. Additionally, subgroup analysis demonstrated that smokers predominantly exhibited significant increases in flow-dependent parameters.