Some chronobiological and physiological problems associated with long-distance journeys

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Summary

Long-distance travel is becoming increasingly common. Whatever the means of transport, any long journey will be associated with “travel fatigue”. The symptoms associated with this phenomenon result from a changed routine (particularly sleep lost and meals) and the general disruption caused by travel. Planning any trip well in advance will minimise many of these problems, but some factors are less easy to guard against. These problems include sitting in cramped and uncomfortable conditions and, with flights, the hypoxic environment in the cabin.

After arrival at the destination in another country, there can be problems coping with the local language, alterations in food and different customs. If the flight has crossed the equator, then there is likely to be a change in season and natural lighting and, if it has crossed several time zones, there will also be the problem of “jet lag”, caused by a transient desynchrony between the “body clock” and the new local time.

Moreover, the new environment might differ from the place of departure with regard to ambient temperature and humidity, altitude, natural lighting (including ultraviolet radiation) and pollution. The traveller needs to be aware of these changes before setting off, so that appropriate preparations (clothing, for example) can be made.

Introduction

Travel has become part of contemporary lifestyles. Many journeys take a long time whether they are by plane, road or rail. All such journeys result in “travel fatigue” on the day of travel; journeys which also cross time zones result in “jet lag”, a condition that might take several days to disappear. A further result of travelling, often over quite short distances, is that the new environment differs from that at the starting point. There might be changes in altitude and pollution might be particularly high or low. Changes in climate can often be expected also, and individuals travelling across the equator will experience differences in the season and natural lighting. In addition, there are likely to be changed culture and customs, including differences in the food that is eaten, the times when it is ingested, and the way in which it is prepared.

The aims of this article are to outline current views on the nature and origin of the problems, and to offer advice on how to minimise their adverse effects. Travellers can control some of the problems, provided that sufficient and appropriate planning of the trip has taken place as far in advance as possible. These plans should include having all the necessary documents and health checks, discarding personal items that would compromise security measures, and having alternative courses of action in case of travel delays. Appropriate clothing for the new environment is another means whereby many problems can be circumvented by suitable planning before the journey begins.

Section snippets

Travel fatigue

So-called “travel fatigue” is associated with any long journey, regardless of the mode of transport and the number of time zones crossed1, 2; its symptoms include disorientation, general weariness and increased incidence of headaches. Travel fatigue is a non-specific response to the many hassles that travel might bring, including disruption of the normal daily routine, spending too much time in cramped and uncomfortable surroundings, and eating different (and often less palatable) food at

Symptoms of jet lag

A flight across three or more time zones gives rise to “jet lag” in the new time zone.1, 2 The symptoms of jet lag are included in Table 1 and extend from labile affective states to periodic impairments in decision-making, transient underperformance and digestive discomfort (Table 1).

These symptoms are more marked after eastward than westward flights, and are more severe and prolonged the greater the number of time zones crossed. One symptom reliably associated with jet lag is fatigue, but the

Food intake when the destination is reached

The normal rhythm in eating behaviour is little affected by the body clock (and so effects associated with jet lag are likely to be small and transient) but appetite and the palatability of food are sometimes suppressed by long-distance flights. The small endogenous component of appetite means that adopting local times for meals after arrival is usually advocated.112 In addition, daily energy expenditure might be reduced for a few days after arrival, due to daytime tiredness.66 Bowel movements

Additional stressors

The environment at destination is unlikely to be the same as that of the home country from which the traveller has departed. Indeed the objective of the journey may be to seek out a different climate for warm-weather activities, participation in winter sports, visiting mountainous regions, or a variety of other reasons. The journey may be to another hemisphere, in which case an abrupt change of season will be encountered. Alternatively, the air at the city of destination may be polluted. The

Conflict of interest

None declared.

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