Methods and systems are provided for increasing energy output from Z-pinch and other plasma confinement systems. In one example, a system may include memory storing instructions that, if executed by one or more processors, cause the system to adjust one or more parameters to generate a magnetic field which is sufficiently strong to axially compress a fuel gas to induce thermonuclear fusion and increase a fusion energy gain factor greater than a fusion energy gain factor limit attainable by the thermonuclear fusion. In certain examples, adjusting the one or more parameters may include adjusting a duty cycle of a discharge current applied to the fuel gas based, at least in part, on an amount of thermal collisions between fusion byproducts and the fuel gas. In certain examples, by adjusting the duty cycle, the magnetic field may be adjusted to induce or increase the thermal collisions.