Published October 27, 2026 08:01AM<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Imagine not only enduring a long-haul flight, but then having to compete physically soon after you land. Top athletes have no time for jet lag symptoms, such as extreme fatigue, headaches, insomnia and gastrointestinal issues. They have more important things to do, like scaling mountains or qualifying for the Olympics.<\/p>\n
Two recent research reviews focusing on how jet lag impacts athletic performance outline how jumping three or more time zones during extended east- or westbound travel disrupts the body\u2019s internal clock. Current Sleep Medicine Reports<\/i><\/a> says transatlantic travel exposes athletes to stressors like prolonged inactivity and dehydration, which not only affect sleep patterns and quality but can also impair an elite athlete\u2019s cognitive and physical performance with symptoms including trouble concentrating, disorientation, light-headedness and irritability.<\/p>\n The journal Sports<\/i><\/a> also found jet lag can disrupt athletes\u2019 physiological, circadian, and performance systems. Athletes might experience hormonal and mood shifts, blood pressure or heart rate changes, and cognitive impairment that can affect strength, coordination, reaction time and velocity\u2014any of which could impede high-performance outcomes.<\/p>\n From sleep scheduling and strategic exposure to light and dark to proper nutrition and hydration, four top competitors, including a high-altitude mountaineer and an ultramarathon runner, share with Outside<\/i> how they beat jet lag and stay on their game while traveling.<\/p>\n Long before she plunges her paddle into the water, two-time Olympic sprint canoe medalist Katie Vincent<\/a> prepares for international competitions by following a detailed protocol.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving a plan helps the transition,\u201d Vincent tells Outside,<\/i> having competed across Europe, Asia and South America. \u201cThe ideal situation would be to go a\u00a0week or two early, have a full prep camp and slowly get over jet lag. But even with three to five days, you can at least get enough sleep, get into your routine and start competing.\u201d<\/p>\n During flights, Vincent wears compression socks, a sleep mask, and earplugs, and prefers a window seat where she can curl her 5-foot-9 frame into a comfortable sleeping position. Upon arrival the next morning, she drinks two cups of coffee and aims to stay awake all day, i.e. no naps. The next few days are spent waking up, training, and going to bed at her regular time. She avoids napping and takes melatonin as needed to help her sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cBy day four, we\u2019re adjusted, which is crucial as our nervous systems need to be regulated to produce the best performances on the water,\u201d explains Vincent, who also tracks her sleep patterns on a Garmin watch.<\/p>\n \u201cMost athletes on my team use their watch to gauge sleep quality. But everyone\u2019s different; some can fall asleep in an instant, and others need more time to fall into the rhythm. There\u2019s no one way to handle jet lag, but there are ways to navigate it.\u201d<\/p>\n As a professional ultrarunner, former U.S. Biathlon National Team member, and a Carmichael Training Systems (CTS)-certified endurance sports coach, Corrine Malcolm<\/a> has clocked countless hours in the air to run 100-mile races in Asia, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.<\/p>\n \u201cJet lag impacts more than your ability to sleep or feel awake\u2014there are hydration components, thermal regulation, and GI distress,\u201d Malcolm tells Outside<\/i>. She is based in Leavenworth, Washington, and hosts Trail Society<\/a>, a podcast about trail running.<\/p>\n In the days leading up to a flight, Malcolm practices sleep banking\u2014going to bed earlier and staying in bed longer to shore up resilience in anticipation of sleep loss.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re racing 100-plus miles, coming in with a lot of sleep banked can be important for feeling good,\u201d she explains. \u201cYou\u2019re also trying to move your circadian rhythm closer to the time zone you\u2019re moving to. It takes a whole day for every time zone over three hours you\u2019re crossing eastward versus a half-day adjustment going westward.\u201d<\/p>\n Smart long-haul flying starts when booking your ticket; Malcolm opts for evening flights that head directly to her destination.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll sleep more readily on a ten-hour [direct] flight, versus flying from Seattle to Newark, and then to Geneva,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Malcolm brings her own food so she can eat quickly and get sleep-ready with noise-canceling headphones, compression socks, and an eye mask.<\/p>\n \u201cGetting the biggest chunk of sleep possible goes a long way in managing how you feel on the ground. I also make sure I\u2019m getting good morning light and eating familiar foods,\u201d she says, noting that high-protein meals boost arousal while high-carbohydrate foods increase drowsiness.<\/p>\n \u201cControl what you can control. Fixating on things that are out of your control will keep you up at 2 A.M. when you\u2019re trying desperately to sleep. I always remind athletes: One bad night of sleep isn\u2019t ideal, but focus on how you\u2019ve been taking care of yourself for the last couple of weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSome people I know start adjusting to a schedule ahead of time; I do not,\u201d Emily Harrison Torrence, an ultramarathoner in Rapid City, South Dakota, tells Outside<\/i>. She is also the co-owner of Sundog Running, <\/a>which coaches athletes training for ultramarathons, endurance sports, and trail running.<\/p>\n \u201cI try to nap on the plane, but I let that happen naturally, because it\u2019s hard to know exactly what time zone you\u2019re in when you\u2019re in the air.\u201d<\/p>\n Torrence packs lots of snacks for the plane: protein, healthy fat, nothing too sugary.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not uncommon for athletes, myself included, to have food allergies or food sensitivities, and sometimes the meals served on planes may not be too friendly, so make sure you\u2019re prepared to be self-sustainable,\u201d she suggests. \u201cOn international flights\u2014before, during, and once you land\u2014always have fluids on you. Plain water is great, but adding electrolytes is also good. Travel is dehydrating, and that can affect your performance and how you adjust to the new time zone.\u201d<\/p>\n Once Torrence lands, she tries to adapt to her new time schedule but doesn\u2019t overthink it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt depends on how long I\u2019m going to be there; if I\u2019m just flying in for a race a couple of days ahead of time, I\u2019ll nap if I need to when I land, but just for 20 minutes\u2014\u00a0avoid passing out for three or four hours,\u201d she says. \u201cGood nutrition and staying well hydrated will help you offset that sleep deficit as you\u2019re adjusting.\u201d<\/p>\n Megan Rath<\/a>, a triathlete-turned-mountaineer in Philadelphia who has scaled the Seven Summits\u2014the highest mountain peaks on every continent\u2014likes to add new methods to her mix of jet-lag-busting tricks. So, when she read about Timeshifter<\/a>, a science-based circadian rhythm app, she was eager to learn more.<\/p>\n The app uses circadian neuroscience algorithms to create a custom schedule that slowly resets your body\u2019s clock before, during, and after travel. After entering your sleep habits, age, sex, caffeine or melatonin usage, and flight itinerary, the app generates a personalized plan that sends you prompts to wake up, get bright light or none at all, drink coffee, and sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about light control\u2014when you\u2019re seeing light, when you\u2019re not\u2014and that mindset shift was a game changer,\u201d Rath tells Outside<\/i>. When climbing Lhotse, the world\u2019s fourth-highest mountain, last spring, the mountaineer followed her Timeshifter plan.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a funky time change of nine hours and 45 minutes, plus flying from Newark to Istanbul and Istanbul to Kathmandu\u2014essentially two red-eyes in a row\u2014so it was tough trying to time when I\u2019m putting my sunglasses on at the airport to start signaling my time to sleep,\u201d recalls Rath.<\/p>\n \u201cBy the time I got to Mera, where they drop you off in the middle of nowhere, I felt pretty good. I\u2019ve never felt this good on an 8,000-meter climb, and I was very dialed in with my preparation, including the hypoxic tent so I wouldn\u2019t have to spend as much time on the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n Powered by a generator that reduces the oxygen concentration, hypoxic tents simulate higher altitude to allow the body to acclimatize before a climb. In addition to the tent, Rath prepares for rigorous treks by being laser-focused on hydration.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re drinking two liters at sea level, you\u2019re drinking four at altitude, no exceptions, because your body is working that much harder. It\u2019s dried out, and water needs to get to your cells; otherwise you\u2019ve got headaches and cramping,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything I do is measured. I know exactly how much I\u2019ve had to drink and when I\u2019m drinking it. You don\u2019t want to just guzzle water, because your body doesn\u2019t have a chance to absorb it. They tell you to drink three or four sips every 15 minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n Rath also limits sugar and avoids alcohol, which can increase dehydration due to its diuretic effects while also decreasing sleep quality.<\/p>\n With smart tools, proper nutrition,\u00a0 and customized schedules, you can optimize performance instead of crashing in a jet-lagged stupor.<\/p>\n <\/div>\nArrive in Advance and Prioritize Routine<\/h2>\n
Athlete: Katie Vincent, Two-time Olympic Sprint Canoe Medalist<\/h3>\n
Practice Sleep Banking and Eat Familiar Food<\/h2>\n
![\"Corrine](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Corrine-Malcolm-1-credit-Tony-DiPasquale.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Athlete: Corrine Malcolm, Professional Ultrarunner and Former U.S. Biathlon National Team Member<\/h3>\n
Do What Feels Natural and Take Power Naps<\/h2>\n
![\"Emily](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Emily-Torrence-credit-George-Banker.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Athlete: Emily Harrison Torrence, Ultramarathon Runner<\/h3>\n
Tap Into Technology and Stay Hydrated<\/h2>\n
![\"Megan](\"https:\/\/cdn.outsideonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/IMG_0084.jpg?width=3840&auto=webp&quality=75&fit=cover\"\/)
Athlete: Megan Rath, High-Altitude Mountaineer<\/h3>\n