Nutrition For Travel

We’ve been jet setting around the globe for over 100 years, yet many of us pay little attention to preparing for the side effects of crossing continents, including travel nutrition.

Dealing with jet-lag is something that, thanks to curious researchers and experienced travellers, could be much more manageable – at least until teleportation becomes a reality!

Jet lag (aka circadian desynchronisation) is the mismatch between our internal body clock and our environment’s light-dark cycle. Not only does jet lag eat into valuable time, but it also affects appetite; an appetite for the amazing local food you were so keen to try, or as an athlete, appetite for important fuelling and recovery opportunities. Jet lag may also cause headaches, gut issues or altered moods.

For the travelling athlete, circadian resynchronisation (realigning our body clock with the local time) is paramount. With typically tight competition turnarounds, an athlete’s calendar doesn’t always accommodate long acclimatisation periods at their destination. Ensuring jet lag symptoms are addressed early and effectively, ensures that performance is preserved.

In our readings, we were introduced to a gem of a term – Zeitgeibers, a German word that literally translates as ‘time-givers’. These are cues that resync our internal body clock to our new local time. (1)

So here are your jet lag Zeitgeibers, from some of the best in the business! (2)

Light Exposure

While not a nutritional intervention, nailing your light exposure timing is the strongest natural zeitgeiber – it would be an oversight for us to gloss over this one! (3)

Useful tip: to efficiently adapt at your destination, seek light by turning on indoor lights when it’s dark outside, and avoid light by wearing dark sunglasses during strong sunlight hours.

Melatonin

The brain naturally releases melatonin at night to promote sleep and clears it upon waking to increase alertness for the day ahead (or we drink coffee – we’ll get to that soon!).

Melatonin production and clearance are controlled by our body clock, so long-haul flights can disrupt this, throwing off our sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin supplements help resynchronise our body clock and reduce jet-lag symptoms, with effective doses ranging from 2 to 8mg. However, over-the-counter supplements may vary in potency, so prescription options are often safer. For a natural alternative, 6 pistachios provide approximately 1mg of melatonin.

Tip: When travelling eastward, take melatonin in the afternoon. For westward travel, take it shortly after waking. This is because when travelling east, our body clock lags behind local time, and we need to advance it. When travelling west, our body clock is ahead, so we need to delay it.

Caffeine

Caffeine masks the build-up of adenosine, a molecule in the brain that makes us feel sleepy. It’s one of the most common ways to reduce daytime fatigue while jetlagged. A dose of 1-3 mg/kg of body weight (70-210 mg for a 70kg person) effectively aids body clock resynchronisation.

Although coffee may seem like a saviour, be cautious of over-caffeinating. Consuming more than 400mg per day (equivalent to 3-4 shots of coffee) can negatively affect sleep.

Tip: To minimise sleep disruptions and melatonin impact, consume caffeine within 6 hours of waking. If trying to delay sleep, 200mg of caffeine 3 hours before bedtime may help!

Food Composition and Timing

While there is limited information on meal timing and sleep, current research suggests that what we eat before sleep plays a role. Tryptophan, a precursor to melatonin, can increase our natural melatonin production. Additionally, combining fat and carbohydrate intake helps more tryptophan become available for melatonin production.

What does this mean? Tryptophan is found in protein-rich foods. A well-rounded meal containing protein, carbohydrates, and fats can enhance melatonin production and potentially minimise jet lag.

Many athletes pack creature comforts to maintain a balanced diet while travelling and reduce digestion issues caused by altitude or unfamiliar foods. Considerations include food availability at your destination, special dietary needs, required sports foods, and logistical factors like luggage allowances, quarantine laws, and extra costs.

Tip: Consume complete meals with protein, carbohydrates, and fats when possible, and pack allowed items from home that may not be available at your destination.

Planning food and supplements to align with your travel schedule can help reduce jetlag symptoms. Focusing on zeitgebers (light exposure, melatonin, caffeine, meal timing/composition) can help you enjoy your destination instead of falling asleep in embarrassing places!

Reference List:

1. Choy M, Salbu RL. Jet Lag – Current and Potential Therapies. Pharmacy & Therapeutics 2011; 36(4): 221-224, 231.
2. Halson SL, Burke LM, Pearce J. Nutrition for Travel: From Jet Lag to Catering. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 2019; 22: 1-8
3. Duffy JF, Czeisler CA. Effect of light on human circadian physiology. Sleep Med Clin 2009; 4 (2): 165-77.
4. Fowler, P. M., Knez, W., Crowcroft, S., Mendham, A. E., Miller, J., Sargent, C., … & Duffield, R. (2017). Greater Effect of East vs. West Travel on Jet Lag, Sleep, and Team-Sport Performance. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. 49(12):2548-2561
5. Oladi E, et al. Spectrofluorimetric determination of melatonin in kernels of four different Pistacia varieties after ultrasound-assisted solid-liquid extraction. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc, 2014; 132: 326-9
6. Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J., & Roth, T. (2013). Caffeine effects on svleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 9(11), 1195-1200.

The Recovery Room

This Blog post was created in partnership with the Recovery Room. Dr Peter Fowler is an expert in the field of Recovery and Travel.

To find out more, please visit the Recovery Room Website