JET LAG: Preparation for Torino 2006
Randy Wilber, Ph.D.
Senior Sport Physiologist
Coaching and Sport Sciences Division
United States Olympic Committee
As an Olympic athlete, you are required to travel internationally across several time zones to compete. International travel produces physiological stress on your body’s internal clock. This physiological stress is more commonly called “jet lag”. As you may have already experienced, jet lag can have a significant negative effect on your ability to train and compete.
This pamphlet is designed to help you as an athlete preparing for the Torino 2006 Olympics to deal effectively with jet lag. Strategies are provided on how to readjust your body’s internal clock to Torino time:
Ø One week prior to traveling from the USA to Torino
Ø In flight from the USA to Torino
Ø One week after arriving in Torino
Performing well at the Torino 2006 Olympics is a challenge that requires educated and detailed planning, in addition to a tremendous amount of physical training. Part of that detailed preparation should include a strategy to reduce jet lag and its negative effects on training and performance.
JET LAG “FACTS AND FIGURES”
Jet lag affects each person differently, but in general the following facts are true:
- Jet lag is more severe and lasts longer after a flight from the USA to Europe than after a flight from the USA to Asia over the same number of time zones.
- Jet lag is more pronounced the more time zones that are crossed.
- It takes on average one day for every time zone crossed to fully recover from jet lag.
- Younger and healthier people tend to suffer less from jet lag than older persons.
- Women may be affected more by jet lag than men due to menstrual cycle irregularities.
- Jet lag is exacerbated by additional environmental stressors, such as heat, humidity, air pollution and altitude.
SYMPTOMS OF JET LAG
Ø Fatigue during the new daytime . . . yet difficulty or inability to sleep at night.
Ø Loss of appetite, in combination with indigestion, constipation and possible nausea.
Ø Potential menstrual irregularities during the luteal phase due to asynchrony of melatonin secretion.
Ø Increased irritability, headaches, mental confusion and disorientation.
Ø Decreased mental performance . . . particularly in sports that require high concentration.
Ø Decreased physical performance . . . particularly in endurance sports and sports that require precise movement.
PREPARATION FOR TRAVELING FROM THE USA TO TORINO
In preparation for traveling to Torino, altering your sleep pattern will help adjust your body’s internal clock to earlier in the day closer to Torino time. The following sleep-wakeup schedules are based on two scenarios. The first scenario is one where you live on the East coast of the USA, for example, New York City, Washington DC, or Miami, a difference of 6 time zones from Torino.
Let’s say that today is Sunday and you are scheduled to leave for Torino next Sunday. You normally get up at 7:00 AM ET and go to bed at 11:00 PM ET. When you got up today/Sunday at 7:00 AM, it was Sunday 1:00 PM in Torino. When you go to bed tonight/Sunday at 11:00 PM, it will be Monday 5:00 AM in Torino. During the week it will be beneficial for you to adjust your internal clock to earlier in the day so that it is closer to Torino time. You can do this by gradually getting up earlier and going to bed earlier over the next six days.
As shown in the East coast schedule, on Monday you will get up an hour earlier at 6:00 AM and go to bed an hour earlier at 10:00 PM. Repeat this wakeup-sleep pattern on Tuesday. On Wednesday, get up an hour earlier at 5:00 AM and go to bed an hour earlier at 9:00 PM. Repeat this wakeup-sleep pattern on Thursday. On Friday, get up 30 minutes earlier at 4:30 AM and go to bed 30 minutes earlier at 8:30 PM. Repeat this wakeup-sleep pattern on Saturday. When you wake up at 4:30 AM on Saturday, it will be Saturday 10:30 AM in Torino. When you go to bed at 8:30 PM on Saturday night, it will be Sunday 2:30 AM in Torino. So over the course of six days (Monday-Saturday) you will have adjusted your internal clock to earlier in the day by 2.5 hours and therefore it will be more in synchrony with Torino time. It is less important but still helpful to shift your other daily activities – meals, training, etc. – to be in synchrony (i.e., earlier in the day) with Torino time.
Don’t try to reset your body’s internal clock to the entire 6-hour time difference by getting up at 1:00 AM! This will not help you significantly more than the 2.5-hour adjustment outlined in the East coast schedule. Attempting to make the full 6-hour adjustment will obviously have a negative impact in your training and recovery, thereby doing more harm than good.
It is also very important throughout the week to expose yourself to bright light for at least 30 minutes upon awakening. Bright light exposure (BLE) has been shown to be one of the best ways to help the body’s internal clock adjust to a new time zone.
On Sunday you are scheduled to fly to Torino via Munich, Germany, which is in the same time zone as Torino. Most trans-Atlantic flights that go from the East coast of the USA to western European hubs leave in the late afternoon or early evening (4:00-6:00 PM). Let’s assume that your flight departs on Sunday at 5:30 PM ET from Washington DC and will continue nonstop to Munich. Then after a few hours in Munich you will fly nonstop to Torino. If you live in the Washington DC area, you will be able to stay on your 4:30 AM wakeup schedule and probably also have time for some light to moderate training. If you have a connecting flight to Washington DC, you will also be able to stay on the 4:30 AM wakeup schedule, but may not have time to train depending on how long your connecting fight is.
The second scenario is one where you live on the West coast of the USA, for example, San Francisco, Los Angeles or Seattle, a difference of 9 time zones from Torino.
As in the East coast scenario, let’s assume that today is Sunday and you are scheduled to leave for Torino next Sunday. You normally get up at 7:00 AM PT and go to bed at 11:00 PM PT. When you got up today/Sunday at 7:00 AM, it was Sunday 4:00 PM in Torino. When you go to bed tonight/Sunday at 11:00 PM, it will be Monday 8:00 AM in Torino.
As shown in the West coast schedule, on Monday you will get up an hour earlier at 6:00 AM and go to bed an hour earlier at 10:00 PM. Repeat this wakeup-sleep pattern on Tuesday. On Wednesday, get up an hour earlier at 5:00 AM and go to bed an hour earlier at 9:00 PM. Repeat this wakeup-sleep pattern on Thursday. On Friday, get up an hour earlier at 4:00 AM and go to bed an hour earlier at 8:00 PM. Repeat this wakeup-sleep pattern on Saturday. When you wake up at 4:00 AM on Saturday, it will be Saturday 1:00 PM in Torino. When you go to bed at
8:00 PM on Saturday night, it will be Sunday 5:00 AM in Torino. So over the course of six days (Monday-Saturday) you will have adjusted your internal clock to earlier in the day by 3.0 hours and therefore it will be more in synchrony with Torino time. As with the East coast scenario, don’t try to reset your body’s internal clock to the entire 9-hour time difference because it will have a negative impact on your training and recovery. Also, be sure to get at least 30 minutes of BLE upon awakening throughout the week to help your body’s internal clock adjust to the earlier time zone.
On Sunday you are scheduled to fly to Torino via Frankfurt, Germany, which is in the same time zone as Torino. Let’s assume that you will connect from the West coast to Chicago where you will then fly nonstop to Frankfurt. Most trans-Atlantic flights that go from Chicago to western European hubs leave in the middle to late afternoon (2:00-4:00 PM). Let’s say that your flight departs on Sunday at 3:30 PM CT from Chicago and will continue nonstop to Frankfurt. Then after a few hours in Frankfurt you will fly nonstop to Torino. You will be able to stay on your 4:00 AM wakeup schedule, but may not have time to train depending on how long your connecting fight to Chicago is. A final note for athletes who live in the Midwest USA. In the week prior to departure, you can follow either the East coast or West coast sleep-wakeup schedules outlined in this section. Both of them will be equally effective in reducing jet lag resulting from the flight to Torino. If you live in the Midwest USA, you will be able to stay on your 4:00 AM / 4:30 AM wakeup schedule on the day you travel to Torino, and you may also have time for some light to moderate training depending on your proximity to Chicago.
IN FLIGHT FROM THE USA TO TORINO
A nonstop flight from Washington DC to Munich is approximately 8.5 hours (“wheels up to wheels down”). A nonstop flight from Chicago to Frankfurt is approximately 8.0 hours (“wheels up to wheels down”). Therefore, on the flight from the USA to western Europe it is important for you to establish as much of a personal “comfort zone” as possible. The general strategy is to reduce physical and psychological stress, and therefore fatigue. Specific recommendations include:
Ø When scheduling your flight, make a serious attempt to sit in bulkhead or emergency rows . . . consider an upgrade to business class or first class when traveling to major competitions such as the Olympics.
Ø Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. . . don’t be worried about making a fashion statement . . . be comfortable!
Ø Wear compression stockings to reduce fluid buildup in the lower legs and ankles. . . compression stockings can be purchased at a drugstore or medical supply store.
Ø Reset your wristwatch to Torino time immediately upon boarding the plane.
Ø Travel with your own pillow . . . useful both on the plane and in Torino housing.
Ø Hydrate with non-caffeinated, alcohol-free beverages such as fruit juice, carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks (Powerade), and ice water.
Ø Eat your own food (energy bars, fruit, healthy snacks) instead of airline meals . . . eat some roughage (e.g., apples) during flight to reduce constipation.
Ø Walk around and stretch at least once every two hours.
Ø Reduce stress by reading, listening to music, watching a movie, etc.
Ø Use earplugs to reduce extraneous noise.
“TO SLEEP OR NOT TO SLEEP” ON THE FLIGHT TO TORINO
During the long flight to Torino, it is very important for you to either stay awake or sleep at the proper times. Keep in mind that you are trying to extend the sleep-wakeup pattern that you established over the previous six days. That sleep-wakeup schedule was designed to gradually shift your body’s internal clock closer to Torino time, thereby reducing jet lag and allowing you to begin high-quality training within a few days after arriving in Torino. Whether you stay awake or sleep on a long distance flight over several time zones will depend in large part on what the local time is when you depart the USA, how long the flight time is, and what the local time is when you land at your final destination.
Shown below is a table that compares the local time for Washington DC and Munich/Torino during the 8.5-hour flight (2-hour intervals). When you depart Washington DC on Sunday at 5:30 PM, it is Sunday 11:30 PM in Munich and Torino. When you land approximately 8.5 hours later, it is Monday 8:00 AM in Munich and Torino, and Monday 2:00 AM in Washington DC.
Washington DC
|
Sunday
5:30 PM
|
Sunday
7:30 PM
|
Sunday
9:30 PM
|
Sunday
11:30 PM
|
Sunday
1:30 AM
|
Monday
2:00 AM
|
Munich / Torino
|
Sunday
11:30 PM
|
Monday
1:30 AM
|
Monday
3:30 AM
|
Monday
5:30 AM
|
Monday
7:30 AM
|
Monday
8:00 AM
|
The best in-flight strategy for the Washington DC-Munich flight is to sleep during the final 50% to 75% of the flight (final 4.25 to 6.25 hours of the 8.5-hour flight). You can see from the table above that if you sleep during the final 50% to 75% of the flight, you will be sleeping from approximately 2:00 AM to 8:00 AM Torino time, which will put you in relatively tight synchrony with Torino sleep time. A couple of factors should help you to sleep on the plane during this time. First, you will have been up since 4:30 AM and should be relatively fatigued from the stress of packing, connecting flights, long security lines, etc. Second, you have been going to bed at 8:30 PM, which is approximately 3.0 hours into the flight. So you should be relatively tired and sleepy by 8:30 PM (2:30 AM Torino time), a time that is also within the 50% to 75% window of optimal in-flight sleep (2:00AM - 8:00 AM Torino time). Finally, the first meal is typically served approximately 1.0 to 1.5 hours into flight. After eating the meal (or your own food), you will have a post-meal surge of serotonin, which will promote drowsiness and sleep.
Another in-flight strategy for the Washington DC-Munich flight is to stay awake the entire flight. Obviously this is more difficult to do. You are scheduled to arrive in Munich at approximately 8:00 AM local time. You will have an approximate 3.0-hour layover in Munich before taking a 1.25-hour flight to Torino arriving at about 12:30 PM local time. If you stay awake on the entire trip from Washington DC to Munich to Torino, and then stay up in the afternoon and early evening in Torino, you will have been up for well over 24 hours. Let’s say you go to bed at 8:00 PM Monday in Torino, you will have been up 33.5 hours from the time you got up at 4:30 AM Sunday in the eastern USA. Obviously, you will be extremely tired when you go to bed in Torino on Monday night, and this is the main reason why some athletes choose to use this “stay awake and push through” strategy. It virtually guarantees that you will sleep soundly on your first night in Torino, thereby putting you in tight synchrony with Torino time and significantly reducing jet lag and its negative effects on training and performance.
Shown below is a table that compares the local time for Chicago and Frankfurt/Torino during the 8.0-hour flight (2-hour intervals). When you depart Chicago on Sunday at 3:30 PM, it is Sunday 10:30 PM in Frankfurt and Torino. When you land approximately 8.0 hours later, it is Monday 6:30 AM in Frankfurt and Torino, and Sunday 11:30 PM in Chicago.
Chicago
|
Sunday
3:30 PM
|
Sunday
5:30 PM
|
Sunday
7:30 PM
|
Sunday
9:30 PM
|
Sunday
11:30 PM
|
Frankfurt / Torino
|
Sunday
10:30 PM
|
Monday
12:30 AM
|
Monday
2:30 AM
|
Monday
4:30 AM
|
Monday
6:30 AM
|
Similar to the strategy for travel from Washington DC to Munich, the best in-flight strategy for the Chicago-Frankfurt flight is to sleep during the final 50% to 75% of the flight (final 4.0 to 6.0 hours of the 8.0-hour flight). You can see from the table above that if you sleep during the final 50% to 75% of the flight, you will be sleeping from approximately 1:00 AM to 6:30 AM Torino time, which will put you in relatively tight synchrony with Torino sleep time. Similar to the Washington DC-Munich flight, several factors should allow you to sleep during this time, including travel fatigue, bedtime during the week prior to travel, and the post-meal serotonin effect. The alternate “stay awake and push through” strategy may also be used. If you stay awake the entire trip from Chicago to Frankfurt to Torino and go to bed at 8:00 PM Monday in Torino, you will have been up 31.0 hours from the time you got up at 4:00 AM Sunday in the western USA.
UPON ARRIVAL IN TORINO
If you travel from the eastern part of the USA via the Washington-Munich flight, you will arrive in Munich on Monday morning at approximately 8:00 AM local time. After an approximate 3.0-hour layover in Munich, you will take a 1.25-hour flight to Torino and arrive there at about 12:30 PM local time.
If you travel from the western part of the USA via the Chicago-Frankfurt flight, you will arrive in Frankfurt on Monday morning at approximately 6:30 AM local time. After an approximate 2.5-hour layover in Frankfurt, you will take a 1.5-hour flight to Torino and arrive there at about 10:30 AM local time.
The sun will be up when you land in Munich/Frankfurt so try to take advantage of it by getting some BLE via the airport windows. Try to stay active and awake as the new day begins, just as you would do back in the USA. Bright light exposure, either natural or artificial, will help you to do so. If you slept on the flight coming over from the USA, it should not be that difficult to stay awake. You will arrive in Torino later that day in the late morning or early afternoon local time.
If you travel to Torino via Munich, you will arrive there on Monday 12:30 PM, which is 6:30 AM back home in the eastern USA. If you travel to Torino via Frankfurt, you will arrive there on Monday 10:30 AM, which is 1:30 AM back home in the western USA. However, try to completely forget about what time it is back in the USA. It is important for you to adjust your mind as well as your body to Torino time. A good way to do this is to regularly check the time on your wristwatch, which was reset to Torino time shortly after you got on the trans-Atlantic flight.
After checking into your hotel/residence and unpacking, it is very important for you to stay up and awake. The best way to do this is to combine BLE with a light training session. The combination of BLE plus exercise has been shown to be the most effective way to adjust your body’s internal clock to the new local time. In Torino, the optimal time for BLE is 1:00 PM to 7:00 PM, using either natural or artificial light. Plan the training session in the mid to late afternoon and remember that it should be a light training session. Do not attempt a high volume, high intensity workout. Social activity is also a very effective way to adjust your internal clock to local time, so plan on eating dinner at a restaurant and then do a little walking around the city.
On Monday night, go to bed at about 11:30 PM Torino time (Monday 5:30 PM in the eastern USA and Monday 2:30 PM in the western USA). If you slept during the final 50% to 75% of the trans-Atlantic flight, you will probably be able to stay up until 11:30 PM and then fall asleep within a short period of time. It is also possible that you may lay awake in bed at 11:30 PM because your body may be sensing that it is still mid afternoon or early evening back in the USA, and therefore you may not fall asleep. In this case, do what you normally do when you can’t sleep . . . read, listen to music, watch TV . . . until you fall asleep. Taking a warm shower prior to bed will also help you relax and sleep soundly. It is also suggested that you sleep with the window blinds open so that you will wake upon “first light” more easily.
If you stayed awake on the entire trip from the USA, of course you will be very tired and therefore ready to go to bed much earlier than 11:30 PM. It is still recommended that you get some BLE and do a light training session after arrival in Torino. Then get something to eat if you’re hungry and go to bed!
The next morning (Tuesday), get up at about 7:30 AM, 0.5 hours later than your normal wakeup time in the USA. Again, be sure to combine BLE with exercise on Tuesday to help expedite the time change. Plan on two light to moderate training sessions on Tuesday. Also, plan on as much social activity as possible when you’re not training. Stay busy and avoid taking naps. Go to bed on Tuesday night at 11:30 PM. Ideally, you will fall asleep shortly after 11:30 PM and sleep soundly, but in reality you may face some of the same challenges as the previous night. Again, read a book, listen to music, or watch TV if you have trouble falling asleep. The next morning (Wednesday), get up at 7:30 AM and try to expand on the previous day’s BLE, exercise and social activity schedule. On Wednesday night, go to bed at your regular time of 11:00 PM. On Thursday, get up at 7:00 AM and go to bed at 11:00 PM, which is your normal wakeup time and bedtime back in the USA. Feel free to begin more difficult training on Thursday, which will be your third full day in Torino. So by Thursday, you should be fully adjusted to Torino time in terms of your wakeup and bedtimes, as well as your normal training routine. It is important to
note that the schedule shown in “Upon Arrival in Torino” can be accelerated or decelerated as needed.
RESUMPTION OF TRAINING UPON ARRIVAL IN TORINO
Ø High-volume and high-intensity training should be avoided in the first few days.
Ø Fine motor skill and coordination will be impaired in the first few days . . . increased potential for injury and accident.
Ø Exercise/Training alone will not reduce jet lag.
Ø Exercise/Training plus BLE will reduce jet lag and help your body’s internal clock adjust to the Torino time zone.
ERGOGENIC AIDS FOR JET LAG
Ø Compression stockings
Ø Sleeping pills
Ø Melatonin
Ø Caffeine
Ø Timing and composition of meals
It is highly recommended that you wear compression stockings (aka anti-embolism stockings) during the long flight from the USA to Torino. You’ve probably noticed on previous long flights that your feet, ankles, and calf areas are very susceptible to swelling. This swelling is actually a buildup of intercellular fluid and is known in medical terms as peripheral edema. In a typical economy cabin seat, you sit in a relatively cramped, bent ankle, bent knee position. Maintaining this position for several hours in combination with the artificial gravity environment of the airline cabin causes peripheral edema. Peripheral edema will result in your legs feeling “sluggish” upon arrival at your destination, and will obviously impair your ability to train and perform, especially in sports where performance is heavily dependent on leg coordination, power and speed. Medical-grade compression stockings can serve to significantly reduce peripheral edema and its potential negative effects on training and performance. They can be purchased over-the-counter from any reputable drugstore or medical supply outlet.
Scientific research has shown that sleeping pills have no effect on subjective, physiological or performance measures. Sleeping pills may actually be counterproductive if taken at the wrong time because they may actually “anchor” your body’s internal clock to USA time. Sleeping pills are not recommended as a way to reduce jet lag.
Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted by the pineal gland, which is located at the base of the brain. It is secreted between 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM and helps to promote drowsiness and sleep. Melatonin is sold commercially in the United States but is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The potential health risks of using melatonin have not been clearly established. Current available evidence suggests minimal health-impairing side effects for most individuals if taken as directed. Melatonin is contraindicated for individuals on oral anticoagulants (e.g., warfarin) and for individuals with epilepsy.
It should be noted that a recent study found that four of six melatonin products bought in health food stores in the United States contained unidentified impurities. Given that melatonin is not regulated by the FDA, and that it may contain ingredients that produce a “positive” drug test for IOC-banned substances, it is recommended that Team USA athletes NOT take melatonin.
However, after consulting with their physician, coaching staff and support staff may consider taking melatonin as a means of reducing jet lag. Based on the scientific research, the following recommendations are made to coaching staff and support staff for the use of melatonin:
Ø In the days prior to going to Torino . . . take 2.5 to 5.0 mg melatonin at approximately 7:00 PM local time (7:00 PM in your home town).
Ø On the flight to western Europe/Torino . . . take 2.5 to 5.0 mg melatonin when it is between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM Torino time.
Ø In the first few days in Torino . . . take 2.5 to 5.0 mg melatonin between 10:00 PM and 11:00 PM Torino time.
Caffeine may be helpful in reducing jet lag if it is well timed and taken in moderate amounts. However, this recommendation is for regular caffeine users only. Caffeine ingestion may do more harm than good for non-caffeine users. Upon arrival in Munich or Frankfurt in the early morning, caffeine ingestion (coffee, tea, soda, ExcedrinÒ) by regular caffeine users may help promote alertness, but if caffeine is ingested later in the day it may prevent you from falling asleep at approximately 11:30 PM Torino time. Caffeine was formerly banned by the IOC/WADA in amounts that exceeded 12.0 mg/ml urine, but it was removed from the “prohibited” list and placed on the “monitored” list effective January 1, 2004.
At one time it was recommended to eat a high protein breakfast (eggs, meat, cheese) for the first few days at your new location for the purpose of reducing jet lag. This recommendation was based on the fact that a high protein meal may increase the amount of tyrosine in the blood, which in turn may lead to an increased production of the neurotransmitters, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Epinephrine and norepinephrine act on the sympathetic nervous system to promote alertness. It was also recommended at one time to eat a high carbohydrate dinner (pasta, potato, rice, bread) for the first few days at your new location. This recommendation was based on the fact that a high carbohydrate meal may increase the amount of tryptophan in the blood, which in turn may lead to an increased production of the neurotransmitter, serotonin. Serotonin acts on the brain to promote sleepiness. Although this may sound like a good strategy to follow upon arrival in Torino, there is no conclusive scientific evidence to support this dietary regimen as a way to reduce jet lag. It is recommended that you follow your normal dietary routine.
SUMMARY
When you travel to Torino to compete in the 2006 Olympic Games, you will want to make the transition as smooth as possible. Having a jet lag strategy in place will help you make that transition with relatively little stress and will allow you to resume training shortly after arrival without getting injured or overtrained. Making a smooth transition from the USA to Torino will ultimately allow you to perform optimally during the Games. The information in this pamphlet is designed to help you as an athlete preparing for the Torino 2006 Olympics to deal effectively with jet lag. Should you want to receive additional individual consultation on jet lag strategies, please feel free to contact:
Dr. Randy Wilber
Senior Sport Physiologist
United States Olympic Committee