Preventing Jet Lag...New Study

[Naja Tom]

Here is what I just read about a new study completed on preventing jet lag:

 

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Starving yourself before a long flight may help prevent jet lag, U.S. researchers said on Thursday.

 

Normally, the body's natural circadian clock in the brain dictates when to wake, eat and sleep, all in response to light. But it seems a second clock takes over when food is scarce, and manipulating this clock might help travelers adjust to new time zones, they said.

 

"A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock," said Dr. Clifford Saper of Harvard Medical School, whose study appears in the journal Science.

 

He said a person from the United States traveling to Japan must adjust to a 11-hour time change.

 

"Because the body's clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone. And, by then, it's often time to come home," Saper said in a statement.

 

Saper and colleagues knew that when food is scarce, animals are able to override their normal biological clock to improve their chances of finding food.

 

Studies have shown that mice fed only during the time when they normally sleep shift their body clocks to this new schedule. "They would be awake and alert and ready to go an hour or two before a meal was due to appear to have maximal chance of getting the food," Saper said in a telephone interview.

 

"This is built into the brain. The problem is, nobody knew how it worked," he said.

 

He and colleagues set out to find this mechanism. They used a group of mice that had been genetically engineered to lack a master gene called BMAL1 that regulates the body's clock. They put this gene into the shell of a hollowed-out virus that acted as a vector to deliver the gene only to brain cells they were interested in studying.

 

When they put it into a small region of the hypothalamus known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which serves as the body's primary clock, the mice adjusted to a light-based schedule for waking and sleeping, but not eating.

 

"If you don't wake them up they will starve to death," Saper said.

 

However, when they restored the gene only in a section of the hypothalamus called the dorsomedial nucleus, which helps organize waking and feeding schedules, the mice adjusted to the eating schedule, but not daylight.

 

Saper said when food is scarce, this second clock can override the body's primary clock. He said these same clock genes are known to be in all mammals, including humans.

 

While skipping meals ahead of a long flight or night shift has not been proven to work in humans, it may be worth a try.

 

"I'm certainly going to do it the next time I go to Japan," he said.

[bolly]

I live in japan and have never had jet lag coming here. You lose a day but leave the states in the morning and arrive in the evening of the next day. No worries. But I get slagged going to the us. Leave at 10 am and arrive at 8 am the (two hours before you left on the same day.) Fucks you up for sure.

[denuk2003]

The most interesting part was:

 

While skipping meals ahead of a long flight or night shift has not been proven to work in humans, it may be worth a try.

 

If the techniqe has not been tested with humans then what is the point? Also, not eating properly for days can cause it's own problems.

 

My technique is the exact opposite which is to make sure my stomach is almost full before I get on the plane. Being stuck on a plane - e.g. because the take-offs are backed up - feeling starved and stressed with nothing to eat is not a situation I intend to put myself in.

 

I have never had problem with jet lag going to BKK from London. I may take a few hours rest after I have finished unpacking in the hotel. But then I am good to go.

 

Jet lag does affect me more when I get back to London. But I only need one day of rest then I am back to work.

 

Anyone who is seriously affected by jet lag may want to try a few other techniques - such as making adjustments during the flight or the avoiding daylight technique - before they go for the starvation technique.

 

Den.

[Lucifer88]

ive personally made the trip from US to thailand well over a dozen times, and what seems to work the best for me is when i am flying west i try to sleep as much on the planes as possible and when flying east i try to stay awake as much as possible... seems to keep the jetlag feeling to a minimum this way... not sure why, but it works for me

[300BHT]

Very Interesting, but dammit i do luv my food

[missinginaction]

traveling to los from the uk is no problem at all. I'm used to going to bed at 10/11pm at home which is 4/5am in thailand. And in thailand i goto bed at 4am'ish. So, no difference for me....

[Naja Tom]

I feel I adjust pretty easily now. When I get to Thailand I use Lunestol or Tylenol PM to get some sleep since I am on US time when you arrive at 11:30pm. Then when I get home I pop a Lunesta, go to work the next day, take another one the next night and I am usually good since I get a good night's sleep the first couple nights back. I just thought the article was interesting but I always carry something to snack on when I fly anyway.

[noidea]

Seems like an interesting theory. I only have trouble really adjusting when I fly back from asia. Never really had a problem going...I just get a bad nights sleep on purpose the night before; this is if the flight leaves early afternoon my time - which they always have for me. When I board the plane I pop a sleeping pill and just skip dinner. By the time I wake up I am flying over Japan and it is around noon and I had a full nights sleep.

Now coming back is awful for me. It takes close to a week before I adjust back and can get a full nights sleep.

[timorno]

The best thing against jetlag is my 7,5mg of zopiclone...

[Strike]

I've had better luck with red wine and a couple Dramamine (the regular white ones, not the yellow ones). Knocks me right out on the long trans-pac flight. I wake well rested and ready to take on all that LOS has to offer, straight away.

 

I'm not a big fan of starving myself.

[cary888]

starving wont work for me. i will get the shakes. I usually try to stay up when i leave from home then sleep 6 hours b4 i land. you will get jetlag anyway.

[farang1]

A Tahi bg is the best solution for jet lag.

[Gosser]

After paying a small fortune for my flight I'm not gonna skip the meals. I have my own theory - Flying from Uk, I take either Thai or EVA flight leaving uk at approx 9.30pm after the first meal I pretty tired so tend to sleep. I wake up for the second meal and then arrive BKK at 4pm to transfer to Patts for 6 or 7pm. I'm in bed by 12 midnight thai time and wake up suitably refreshed! I might add, with me thai bird ahhhhhhhhhh! Same applys for return trip, it arrived in UK at 7pm and I'm in bed by 12 midnight. Always jet lag free!

[todd2rip]

thanks for the info, but usually I eat to help pass the time and

kinda like comfort food.

 

 

and I can't just watch a movie without eatting at the same time.

 

 

aki

[Naja Tom]

Hey, I won't skip the meals on the plane. Flight is too damn long from the East Coast of the USA as it is!!!