Canada’s sevens squad takes jet lag in stride along with world travel
Shifting your daily routine by 12 hours is difficult enough to imagine.
Try being an elite athlete and actually doing it. Then add in an expectation to perform at your best in just a few days’ time.
Such is the challenge this week for Canada’s rugby sevens players: they’re in Dubai for the opening tournament of the 2017-18 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
In a season where there are another seven series stops scattered around the globe — plus the Commonwealth Games — stretched over six months, learning about how to deal with travel fatigue and jet lag is a must.
After a long day of flying, the first task when you’re on the ground “is fight to stay up as late as possible the first few days,” Canadian veteran forward John Moonlight says. He adds you need to push the body’s natural circadian cycle toward the new day/night reality.
That means “limiting the naps and drinking lots of coffee,” Moonlight adds.
The preparation actually starts before the team leaves its base in Langford. The players are handed a schedule of when they should try to sleep on the plane. They also reset their watches to the new time zone.
They also get a snack pack, prepared by the team nutritionist, and suggestions for how to stay hydrated. Some take doses of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.
Sleep is a vital cog in athletic recovery, and managing body rhythms as teams jump time zones is a big priority.
“Short answer is we deal with it as best as we can with the cards we’re dealt,” men’s team physiotherapist Danielle Mah says. “With tournaments that have greater time change, we attempt to plan to arrive as early as possible to acclimatize.”
As much as the team’s budget allows for, of course.
No matter the flight, players wear compression clothing, which helps to reduce swelling and muscle fatigue. They use lacrosse balls to relieve muscle tightness in the hip or back.
“Unfortunately these elite athletes will see more flight time in economy than most in a lifetime,” Mah adds.
Unlike New Zealand, who are sponsored by Air New Zealand and are given plenty of perks, most other teams on the series, the Canadians included, end up in economy. Except for this week’s tournament — Emirates Airlines is a sponsor so everyone is flying first class.
Mah says the perks of the firstclass flight “assist immensely with travel fatigue.”
The Canadians usually have to fly like everyone else. Despite being larger than your average human, the players often aren’t able to get an aisle or exit row seat. Access to the lounge, with all its perks, is usually but a dream.
Of course, the Canadians will tell you the hassles are worth it.
“It’s hot. Love it,” Harry Jones says when asked how things were going in Dubai.
And yes, of course, there’s the rugby.