The World Cup of Soccer will take place this year in June in Japan and Korea. For teams in the Americas, this will entail the crossing of as many as twelve time zones. The result? Probably jet lag.
Does jet lag affect athletic performance? Elizabeth Quinn, About Guide to Sports Medicine says: "Air travel can wreak havoc with your internal clock and dramatically decrease your energy level."Quinn goes on to list the symptoms of jet lag, including fatigue, prolonged reaction time, decreased concentration and a reduction in aerobic power and dynamic strength.
This does not bode well for the North and South American Soccer Teams. However, a group of Argentine scientists led by Dr. Daniel Cardinali believe they may have devised a method to combat the jet lag problem. Dr. Cardinali is Professor of Psychology at the University of Buenos Aires and a long-time researcher into the functions of the pineal gland.
Dr. Cardinali's method involves a combination of melatonin, light and meal schedules and exercise. He claims that, with the proper use of this method, travelers will be synchronized to destination time in as little as 24 hours. According to NASA, it normally takes one day of recuperation for every time zone crossed. This would mean it could take the athletes from one to two weeks to fully recover from the ravages of jet lag.
Dr. Cardinali prescribes taking a capsule of melatonin half an hour before regular sleeping time in the city of your destination, Do this every day, beginning as soon as the flight leaves and continue until the time of the competition.
During the flight, meals and lighting should be set to coincide with that in the city where you are heading.
Upon arrival, exercise twice a day outdoors in the sunlight, morning and afternoon. Avoid sunlight later in the day.
Over 90% of all long distance travelers suffer from jet lag, some more so than others. This is difficult for anyone, but especially hard for those who must compete in competitions of strength, endurance or concentration. Hopefully, this new method will help travelers adjust more easily.
