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John Steinbreder, GolfersMD News
Sep 27, 2010
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‘Tis the season for long distance golf travel, especially for those on the professional golf tours. This next weekend for example, The Ryder Cup will begin at the Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales.
The sport like never before is taking its best players to the farthest corners of the world. And while the primary residual of those trips is positive for the pros, mostly in the form of money garnered from purses and appearance fees, there is also the very real drawback of jet lag.
Of course, jet lag can also afflict recreational golfers, who are hitting the road more often with their clubs as well, and the symptoms are the same for those who tee it up for a living – fatigue, dehydration and insomnia. Any or all of those can lead to poor performance and take the fun out of an overseas expedition.
Simply put, jet lag is a physiological condition that arises when the circadian rhythms are disrupted as people travel across time zones. The part of the brain that activates various body functions based on perceptions of light and darkness gets confused and triggers activities such as hunger, thirst or sleep before it should.
In other words, the body clock is thrown off-kilter.
According to GolfersMD expert Dr. Vijay Vad, who is a sports medicine specialist and researcher at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan, golfers can do several things to combat jet lag, which rarely occurs on north-south travel and appears to get more severe on those west-to-east trips where travelers “lose” time. “Hydration is key, and you should prepare yourself by drinking enough fluids a few days before your departure,” he says. “It is wise also to avoid excessive amounts of alcohol or caffeine before and during your travel, as they can promote dehydration. The better you are hydrated, the better able you are able to minimize the effects of jet lag, and to recover from it more quickly. ”
Dr. Vad also suggests that travelers begin to shift their eating and sleeping patterns a few days before a trip to assist adjustment to the time changes. Moving around a plane during flight not only enhances blood circulation, and helps prevent dangerous clots, but also refreshes a body. Breaking up a long journey with a layover can help, because jet lag usually get worse the more time zones a traveler passes through. And so does adapting to the local schedule upon arrival at your destination, and getting your body clock telling the correct time again.
Doing these simple things can make you feel better when you travel - and help you play better golf when it comes time to tee it up.
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