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Graying out on coasters with high Gs


gigacoaster2k
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This may sound like a stupid question, but my curiosity is getting the best of me.

I was talking to one of my coworkers about how I occasionally gray out at the bottom of Millennium Force's first hill because it pulls so many Gs (I've heard it pulls 5 Gs at the bottom), and he said that when you gray out, you lose brain matter.

Is this true?

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I think I've only blacked out on one ride, now that I come to think of it. I rode Invertigo a few weeks back and I seriously do not remember going through the loop.

That being said, I think I did lose some brain matter because I'm crazy and stupid now more than I ever have been.

Andrew, telling the truth.

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Since a blackout is caused by a lack of blood flow (which carries oxygen) to the brain, I would guess that this lack of oxygen to the brain could cause some impact. Although I have no facts to back this guess up, I'd also guess that it isn't that big of a deal.

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Since a blackout is caused by a lack of blood flow (which carries oxygen) to the brain, I would guess that this lack of oxygen to the brain could cause some impact. Although I have no facts to back this guess up, I'd also guess that it isn't that big of a deal.

Except for the "cause some impact" part, you're right. I'm a Biology major and the brain is simply lacking oxygen. If you do happen to black out it's a protective mechanism that protects the brain from a lack of any more oxygen from the outside environment.

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I don't black out or even gray out, except for the pretzel turn of Magnum XL-200 with the trims off. Then, I lost my perefrial (sp?) vision and my normal vision blurred and started to fade.

I don't think I'm any stupider (though some of my friends might say otherwise) and my brain doesn't feel any lighter, so I'd say it doesn't.

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Your brain does temporarly get ischemic, but its only for a few seconds and not long enough to cause brain injury, ie no cells die they just become dysfunctional for a few seconds. When your foot falls asleep it is because of the same reason (lack of blood flow) and it also recovers completely.

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I think I've only blacked out on one ride, now that I come to think of it. I rode Invertigo a few weeks back and I seriously do not remember going through the loop.

That being said, I think I did lose some brain matter because I'm crazy and stupid now more than I ever have been.

Andrew, telling the truth.

I've come close to passing out several times on Invertigo. ( That is why I won't ride it anymore. ) At 5 g's that is a pretty intense ride. Interestingly I feel like I am going to pass out after the ride stops after the first lap.

Anyone out there with a scientific explanation of why you feel like you are going to black out on a high G ride after the ride stops? I think it has something to do with suddenly reverting back to your normal weight ( ie, at 5 g's you feel like 5 times your normal weight. )

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  • 2 months later...

I recently experienced "graying out" on Dragon Fire at Canada's Wonderland. It was not a remarkable ride, but there are some just happens. There has been only one coaster that I "grayed out" more than once, Silver Bullet at KBF during final helix. I believe I had graying out four times. I am not sure why that one gives me such force. I never had graying out in any other inverted coasters.

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King Cobra. I think it was 1990. Maybe 91.

At the bottom of the loop, my vision started getting blurry.

In the helix, I got tunnel vision, and I don't remember any more of the ride.

I can only remember being in the station, all bloody from where my head fell down, and I busted my mouth on the hand-holds.

I heard lots of screams from other people, lots of fuss from the ride crew. I tried to get away from the medics, because I was embarrassed that I had been hurt, and tried to convince everyone I was fine.

I don't remember them digging all the holes in the concrete, but I sure seemed to be stepping in a lot of them when I tried to walk away!! ;)

They gave me a new shirt, and let me go on about my day after they checked my eyes and ears, and I had sat down for about an hour.

That was my first, and last, ride on King Cobra!

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What does all this stuff even mean in coaster terms? Blacking out is very dangerous, and real life you would need to be rushed to the hospital immediately. Because I wouldn't use a word a way that way ever, used on a ride.

I black out a lot on coasters. At the bottom of Diamondback/ Millennium/ Dragster's hill, and especially on Backlot Stunt Coaster in the helix.

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