The science of long-haul travel and jet lag for athletes ✈️🌍
Risks and recommendations.
Do Long-Haul Travel and Jet Lag Affect Athletes’ Physiological, Humoral and Performance Outcomes? A Systematic Narrative Review
Study Details
This new review compiled data from 89 studies to highlight the challenges and primary effects of travel on athletic performance 📚
Here are the key considerations ⬇️
Key Findings
Travel Stressors 🌍
Travel fatigue ✈️
👉 Sleep deprivation
👉 Dehydration
👉 Logistical constraints (airports, seating)
👉 Typically resolves with rest and hydration
Jet lag 🕰️
👉 Crossing multiple time zones
👉 Travel direction matters (eastward = phase advance, westward = phase delay)
👉 Individual chronotype influences response
Physiological Processes ⚙️
Body temperature 🌡️
👉 Disrupted on Day 1
👉 Eastward = phase advance
👉 Westward = phase delay
👉 Recovery influenced by sleep–wake cycle, training load, individual variability
Blood pressure 🩸
👉 Eastward = decreases
👉 Westward = increases
👉 Modulated by cabin environment and fatigue
👉 Contributes to cardiovascular strain
Sleep 😴
👉 Fragmentation + altered latency
👉 Eastward = delayed onset
👉 Westward = sleep ease (initially)
👉 Melatonin timing disrupted → circadian misalignment
Cortisol 🧪
👉 Variable responses
👉 Baseline often elevated
👉 Impacts recovery, immune function, performance
👉 Individualised monitoring required
Heart rate variability (HRV) ❤️
👉 Declines after >3 time zone crossings
👉 Gradual recovery proportional to zones crossed
👉 Influenced by prior training load + competition exposure
Physical Performance Markers 🏃
Anaerobic power 🔥
👉 Often reduced post-travel
👉 Especially high-intensity efforts
👉 Outputs in sprints/tasks ↓ (e.g. CMJ, sprint velocity)
Strength 💪
👉 Can decrease depending on travel direction, load, recovery
👉 Some athletes show no change or temporary improvement
Velocity ⚡
👉 Effects mixed (often worse after eastward travel)
👉 Westward travel sometimes improves sprint velocity
Aerobic capacity 🫁
👉 Declines due to cumulative fatigue + sleep disruption
👉 Recovery depends on direction, individual, subsequent training
Coordination 🧠
👉 Reaction time sensitive to circadian disruption
👉 Westward travel often less detrimental
👉 Critical for technical sports
Sport-specific tasks 🏉
👉 Game performance impacted (NBA, NFL, MLB, rugby)
👉 Direction-dependent effects
👉 Eastward travel often worse
👉 High variability across athletes
Integrated Pathways 🔗
Combined effects 🧬
👉 Cumulative impacts on aerobic + anaerobic performance
👉 Strength, velocity, coordination, sport-specific skills all affected
Limitations 🧪
👉 Small sample sizes, observational designs
👉 Heterogeneous populations (athletes, military, astronauts)
👉 Uncontrolled confounders
👉 Effects may be inconsistent across studies
What to do about it 📝
Targeted recovery strategies 🎯
👉 Sleep, hydration, nutrition, training load adjustments
👉 Caffeine & melatonin timing strategies
Monitoring & planning 📊
👉 HRV, cortisol, body temp tracking
👉 Adjust training based on circadian phase
Individualisation is key 🌍
👉 Responses vary widely
👉 Interventions must be tailored to athlete + sport
Reference
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41893584/
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