Jet lag is a common problem at the best of times. You leave on your business trip or vacation, and when you arrive, are unable to do anything productive. You keep feeling tried and groggy, sometimes headaches and feeling ill. Even on the days when there is no obvious reason for it to feel this way. And then you might not be well-rested enough to enjoy the activities of your trip. It can really ruin the experience for you. But you definitely don’t need to let it control your experience for the entire duration of your trip!
Wondering how to avoid jet lag with natural remedies or jet lag pills? Jet lag is a common problem that can occur after long air travel. This unpleasant condition can affect your body in many ways and make it difficult to work and live normally. At Zaca, we are advocates of a travel lifestyle and relentlessly study this topic on how to feel better. Here we dive into two ingredient to help prevent or avoid jet lag symptoms for your next trip!
What most do not talk about is that airplane cabin pressure, that's usually pressurized somewhere between 5000 and 9000 feet, can increase dehydration and cause mild forms of symptoms alike to altitude sickness. In a study, results for altitude-related discomfort after 3-9 hours of flight time were typically consistent with reports of altitude sickness (acute mountain sickness) at similar altitudes.
In addition, the climate of an airline cabin consists of recirculated, dry, and cool air---which is maintained at a lower pressure than that found at sea level. A study shows that the air cabin environment provides a situation where serious changes in fluid balance may occur---aka dehydration.
During periods of stress on the body, like traveling, your cells may require more Glutamine which is an essential amino acid. Glutamine helps maintain cell volume and hydration, which can help combat the dehydrating conditions in an airplane.
Glutamine is found to be an anti-fatigue amino acid in sports nutrition products. A possibility of glutamine's anti-fatigue properties is its prevention of dehydration.
SOURCES:
1. Glutamine as an Anti-Fatigue Amino Acid in Sports Nutrition
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6520936/
2. L-Glutamine - Animal Health, Cellular Health, Digestive Health, Immune Support, Sports & Performance Nutrition
https://nutriscienceusa.com/product/l-glutamine/
3. Up in the Air: Evidence of Dehydration Risk and Long-Haul Flight on Athletic Performance
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551461/
4. Effect of Aircraft-Cabin Altitude on Passenger Discomfort
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa062770
5. Inflight arterial saturation: continuous monitoring by pulse oximetry
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7726775/
6. Normobaric hypoxia inhalation test vs. response to airline flight in healthy passengers
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17086767/
7. Effect of high altitude (7,620 m) exposure on glutathione and related metabolism in rats
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11320641/
8. Acute mountain sickness; prophylactic benefits of antioxidant vitamin supplementation at high altitude
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11252695/