What is Travel for Athletes?

Travel for athletes should be considered under certain recommendations to avoid affecting their physical condition. Whether traveling for pleasure or for competition, elite athletes should try to maintain a regular training and eating regime.

Regardless of where they are in the world, it will be vital to follow guidelines to help them adapt as quickly as possible to their new environment, as well as to reduce the nutritional stress associated with eating unfamiliar products and adjusting circadian rhythms to the local time zone.

There are certain practical strategies to mitigate performance problems associated with travel, jet lag, food intolerance and consumption of unsafe products that can cause gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and dehydration. 

Athletes usually compete far from home, in places where food and customs are unfamiliar, so pre-planning is essential to ensure their performance. Just like competing at home, it is essential to create a plan to ensure that adequate food and fluids are available at the right time when competing away.  

One of the main mistakes we make is believing that everything we need will be there waiting for us as if by magic. This is because if athletes are not careful with their own training and eating plan, no one else will be. While there is no single perfect food/diet that will guarantee optimal performance, athletes must be educated on the best foods and fluids to consume and learn to choose for themselves. 

Eating Guidelines During a Trip 

Just as athletes pack their sports clothes, they should think about where, when and how they will be able to obtain the food and beverages necessary to meet their needs. The worst thing that can happen to an athlete while traveling is to become hungry and/or thirsty and not have anything on hand to satisfy those needs, so certain strategies can be implemented for eating on the road. 

• Carry own healthy and easy-to-carry snacks (fresh fruits, fruit juices, crackers, rice salads, low-fat pasta and low-fat energy bars). 
• Keep an eye out for unhealthy fats, certain creamy soups, floury pastas, mayonnaise-dressed salads and sauces on sandwiches that add unnecessary and generally unhealthy fat to the meal. However, broths rather than creamy soups may be preferred. These provide all the nutrients with a lot less fat, or use lemon-based dressing on salads instead of mayonnaise. 
• Consume grilled, boiled, and roasted foods instead of fried or in sauces. Consume grilled, boiled, and roasted foods instead of fried or cooked in sauces. 

• Order exactly what you want a la carte  
• If you are traveling by plane, it may be advisable to contact the airline a few days in advance so that they can have the food we are interested in available. 
• If you are traveling by plane, bring something to drink during the trip, because there may be a long gap between the take-off time and the moment you receive your first drink. 

Minimize Jet Lag 

The temporary disruption of circadian rhythms, known as jet lag, lasts until the person is able to fully adapt to the local time zone. Common symptoms experienced include poor concentration, irritability, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances, disorientation, loss of appetite and gastrointestinal problems, so it is important to allow sufficient time to make adjustments for long-distance travel. 

It has been found to take 3 days to re-synchronize psychomotor performance rhythms after a westbound flight (from Germany to the USA); and curiously, 8 days were needed when flying in the opposite direction (eastbound). Jet lag is suffered even by the most accustomed travelers. Most of them do not have to run, jump, climb, throw or swim when they reach their destinations. Jet lag can produce a feeling of sickness, reduce appetite, and disrupt normal sleep, usually appearing in two ways: 

• Trips that involve small but consecutive trips, causing slight but multiple variations in usual eating patterns. 
• Trips involving a long commute that crosses multiple time zones, causing a major change in eating and sleeping habits. 

Athletes should never postpone an intake when the sensation of hunger appears, so they should always have a snack on hand to fill the stomach until they can have a normal meal. 

Recommendations for Small, Consecutive Time Zone Changes (Phase Shifts) 

• Eat meals at regular times, once you have arrived at your new destination. This will help to adapt to the local schedule quickly and adjust to the new time zone. 
• Drink plenty of fluids. Aircraft cabins are known to be dry, and dehydration can cause problems such as headaches or constipation. 
• Alternate light meals with heavy meals prior to the flight. The stress of travel may slightly increase protein requirements. Eat a high-protein breakfast and a low-protein, high-carbohydrate dinner after the flight. 
• Avoid caffeine until the end of the flight. Because of its diuretic nature, it can increase water loss in an already dehydrating environment. 
• Avoid alcohol before, during and after the flight. In addition to the negative metabolic alterations caused by alcohol, its diuretic effect is well known and may increase dehydration. 

• Engaging in social activities or exercise after the flight will help you tune in to local customs more quickly and reduce stress associated with travel. 

For Long Phase Changes 

• Arrive at the destination at least 1 day earlier for each time zone crossed. For flights crossing more than 6 time zones, allow a minimum of 4 days and preferably 1 week to return to a normal circadian rhythm and sense of well-being. On certain occasions, cost and scheduling constraints may force athletes to arrive as early as possible. Here it will be important to get the local habit standards as quickly as possible and to have as much rest as possible. 
• Exercising and participating in social activities upon arrival at the new location will help athletes familiarize themselves with the new environment, reducing stress associated with travel and facilitating adjustment – Maintain regular sleeping and eating schedules upon arrival at the new destination. The sooner you are able to eat and sleep following the local schedule, the sooner your body will be able to adapt. 
• Continue to eat and drink frequently before, during and after the trip. Bring a meal plan for every 3 hours with snacks from home for the beginning of the trip and look for a good place to buy food once you arrive at your destination. 

• If athletes have any food restrictions due to allergies or intolerances, it is advisable to carry a card written in the language of the country they are traveling to and to show that card at the places where they are staying and where they eat. 
• Increase protein intake. Travel-induced stress may slightly increase the protein requirement. 

Athlete Preparation 

In sports, there are several aspects to be taken into account that can affect the professional practitioner’s health. It is therefore necessary for coaches to have full knowledge and tools to deal with these situations. During flights, due to the pressurization and depressurization caused by changes in altitude, various processes need to be carried out in order to manage this situation adequately. In order to acquire this knowledge, it is necessary for professionals to have the relevant academic specialization that allows them to fully understand the field. 

TECH Technological University is one of the best institutions currently offering digital education. This has been achieved through the constant expansion of its educational portfolio focused on professional success. In the case of its Faculty of Nursing, postgraduate programs such as the Professional Master’s Degrees in Nursing Management and in Legal and Forensic Medicine stand out. On the other hand, for those professionals seeking to complement their education with topics such as the one reviewed in this article, there is no doubt that their best choice will be to take the Professional Master’s Degree in Sports Nutrition in Special Populations for Nursing.