Helping Athletes Adapt to Travel, Time Zone Changes, and Competing Away from Home
Expert Advice from the February Community Brainstorm
Traveling for a major championship is an exciting but often challenging experience for athletes. Long flights, time zone shifts, new environments, and disrupted routines can all impact performance. Experienced coaches know that preparing athletes for these challenges requires more than just a good training plan—it’s about physical, mental, and logistical preparation.
Below, we’ve compiled expert advice and practical strategies from the February Community Brainstorm to help your athletes travel well and compete at their best.
Pre-Travel Preparation: Set Up for Success
Preparation before departure is just as important as what happens on the ground. Ensuring athletes are mentally and physically ready to travel minimises stress and enhances adaptation.
Gradual Time Zone Adjustment
If traveling across more than three time zones, start adjusting sleep patterns 1–2 days before departure. Athletes should:
✅ Shift bedtime and wake-up time to match the destination gradually.
✅ Set their watch and phone to the new time zone as soon as they board the plane.
✅ Avoid naps unless they align with nighttime at the destination.
Mental Readiness and Social Balance
Traveling for competition can take a mental toll, especially for athletes leaving family and familiar environments. ‘Dale’ suggests prioritizing relationships before travel:
“Make time to spend with loved ones and ensure that you get on the plane with relationships in a good place. Before Denny’s departure for offshore stints, I clear his weekends from training and encourage him to spend quality time with his wife.”
Athletes who feel mentally settled before departure often adjust better to new environments.
Routine Familiarity and Packing Essentials
‘Mark T’ highlights the importance of familiar routines and bringing small comforts:
“I make sure they bring personal comforts—whether it’s their usual snacks, a travel pillow, or their normal pre-race playlist—so they can recreate the small details that make them feel at ease.”
Packing Checklist for Travel Comfort:
✅ Familiar snacks and drinks
✅ Travel pillow and blanket
✅ Compression socks (for circulation)
✅ Noise-canceling headphones or earplugs
✅ Sunglasses and a sleep mask (for time zone adjustment)
✅ Hydration supplements or electrolyte tablets
During Travel: Managing Fatigue & Jet Lag
Long-haul travel can cause fatigue, dehydration, and muscle stiffness, all of which impact training readiness upon arrival.
Hydration and Nutrition
‘Mal’ suggests keeping hydration a priority:
“Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and caffeine, and eat light meals to avoid bloating or discomfort during travel.”
Additional Tips:
✅ Drink at least 250ml (1 cup) of water every hour on long-haul flights.
✅ Avoid salty snacks and heavy meals before or during flights.
✅ Stick to high-protein, low-sugar foods to maintain energy.
Movement and Recovery
Long flights can cause muscle stiffness and reduced circulation. ‘Peter’ recommends prioritising movement post-travel:
“We focus on movement after long flights—getting athletes to walk, stretch, or do a light jog soon after landing helps them feel more normal and recover faster from travel stiffness.”
Mid-Flight Movement Routine:
🔹 Every 2–3 hours: Stand up, stretch, and walk down the aisle.
🔹 Seated exercises: Ankle circles, knee lifts, and shoulder rolls.
🔹 Upon arrival: Do a light mobility session or easy jog to promote circulation.
Post-Arrival: Adaptation to Time Zones & New Environments
Adjusting to a new time zone quickly is crucial for maintaining performance levels.
Sunlight and Sleep Adjustments
‘Mal’ emphasizes the role of light exposure in adapting the body clock:
“Get outdoor morning sunlight when traveling east; seek evening light when traveling west. Avoid long daytime naps, but short naps (20–30 minutes) can help manage fatigue.”
Quick Adaptation Tips:
🌞 Eastward Travel (Harder Adjustment):
✔️ Expose yourself to morning light to wake up faster.
🌙 Westward Travel (Easier Adjustment):
✔️ Get late-afternoon sunlight to delay sleepiness.
✔️ Avoid sleeping too early—stay awake until local bedtime.
Keeping Training Familiar
Maintaining a consistent training schedule helps athletes settle into a new routine quickly. ‘Peter’ adjusts training schedules based on what athletes are used to at home:
“Most of my high school athletes train at 4 PM, so I try to schedule light sessions or warm-ups around that time in the new location.”
For younger or first-time travelers, ‘400Master’ takes a learning-based approach:
“Honestly, I use an athlete’s first big travel comp as purely a learning experience. There’s too much to cover in one forum post, and no amount of text is going to give a coach the skills—you need to experience it.”
First-time travelers should focus on learning what works best for them rather than putting pressure on performance.
Food and Water Safety: Avoiding Illness on the Road
Gastrointestinal issues can ruin an athlete’s competition week. ‘Mal’ provides simple but essential guidelines:
🥘 Eat freshly cooked meals served hot.
🚫 Avoid buffets, raw fish, and shellfish.
🍏 Stick to peeled fruit and vegetables.
💧 Depending on the location, drink only bottled or boiled water, even when brushing teeth.
🔹 Follow the “Peel it, boil it, or throw it away” rule.
If staying in a hotel with a buffet, athletes should request freshly prepared meals, explaining they are competitors with specific dietary needs.
Mental Preparation: Keeping Athletes Comfortable & Focused
Traveling can cause mental stress due to new environments, disrupted routines, and homesickness.
Social Support and Familiarity
‘Mark T’ ensures athletes stay mentally comfortable through structured routines and familiar social connections:
“We establish a clear daily plan so they always know what’s coming next: when we eat, when we train, when we rest. This not only eliminates uncertainty but also ensures they feel in control of their preparation.”
For additional mental support, ‘Dale’ suggests fostering a sense of community and gratitude:
“On some occasions, athletes have sent a ‘thank you’ video or card to my family whilst we’re away. This engenders huge goodwill and understanding.”
Encouraging positive connections makes the travel experience more enjoyable and less isolating.
Creating a System That Works
Each athlete adapts differently to travel. While structured plans help, flexibility is key. ‘400Master’ sums it up best:
“By the second or third big trip, you’ve got a system in place and it gets way easier. But no forum post is gonna replace just doing it and learning along the way.”
Coaches should observe and take notes—what works for one athlete might not work for another. Over time, travel becomes a routine part of competition, and experienced athletes will adapt more efficiently.
By preparing well, maintaining familiar routines, and being adaptable, athletes can travel confidently and perform at their best—no matter where the competition takes them.
