Experiencing Jet Lag: An athlete's perspective

In 2019 I achieved the opportunity to represent my country in the sport of rowing in the under nineteen age category. Below is an account of my first trip to Japan, where I rowed for America!

Things we Knew and Didn’t Know About Our Long Flight

It was my first time outside of North America, and my first flight longer than five hours. 

I was already nervous enough, knowing that I was representing my country as a rower.  

To recover from jetlag, you need to know some things:

• We knew that a sixteen hour flight from California to Japan was going to be tough on our bodies. 

• We knew that 24 hours after our arrival, we would be thrown into an intense week of training in Tokyo’s summer heat. 

• We knew that jet lag becomes more extreme the more time zones you cross. It turns out that the further you travel, the more out of sync your internal clock is with your new location. 

We didn’t know how much an IV treatment would have helped us prepare for our coming struggles, once we arrived.  As Dr. Patel likes to say: “You might feel different if you had an IV.” We definitely would have felt different.

Other Than Our Legs, We Were Exhausted

The team landed outside of Tokyo in the late morning. We had been up for hours and were eager to take off our compression socks and really feel our feet and calves again. 

I can admit that I complained about the socks on the plane, but I was thankful my calves and feet were not swollen. Other than our legs being okay, we all felt exhausted.

Feeling the travel hangover, our heads hurt, our muscles ached, and we felt gloomy and dispassionate about our surroundings. 

We suffered through what felt like a never ending customs line, struggling to keep our feet and carry our bags. To add to the challenge, it was over 100 degrees when we landed. Being dehydrated after a long flight, I can admit that I was going to topple over. 

Without IV Nutrition in the Heat, We Were Slow to Acclimate and Slow to Recover

The first few days of training in Japan were torture. As bad as the first day was, I realize now that I was lucky. By virtue of sheer stubbornness, I got myself on a correct sleep schedule. By forcing myself through the end of the first day in Japan without napping, I reset my circadian rhythm. It wasn't until our 5th day in Japan that I felt I was renourished and was getting proper sleep. If we had access to IV nutrition in Tokyo, it would have helped us power through the first day and made us feel a lot more comfortable.

Dehydration is Emotionally Draining

We want to feel great when we travel. Seeing the world is a great opportunity for personal growth and making new connections. Jet Lag can make us feel emotionally low. Because of this, it’s important to fight Jet Lag’s causes. In my own experience, not only was Jet Lag a hindrance to my training and ability to perform my best, it also gave me a darker perspective on the beautiful country I was experiencing for the first time.  Luckily once we completed the racing portion of the trip, I was able to explore and thoroughly enjoy some of Tokyo’s beautiful sights.