The following is what i followed exactly.
1. In the several days preceding flight, go to bed approximately 30 minutes earlier per day than normal and get up approximately 30 minutes per day earlier. For example, if you normally go to bed at 10:00 PM and get up at 7 AM:
· Three days prior to flight, go to bed at 9:30 PM and get up at 6:30 AM
· Two days prior to flight, go to bed at 9:00 PM and get up at 6:00 AM
· One day prior to flight, go to bed at 8:30 PM and get up at 5:30 AM
To assist in this transition, expose yourself to bright light (preferably outdoor sunlight) in morning after waking and minimize light exposure (stay indoors, with dim lights) at night before bedtime.
2. During flight:
· Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. Bring your own water bottle so you’re not dependent on the flight attendants.
· Stretch and walk each hour.
· Use earplugs or headphones.
· Unless you’ve already experimented with melatonin before, I recommend avoiding it. The biggest key to sports nutrition is trial and error; don’t use a competitive event as an experiment.
3. After landing, progressively expose yourself to bright light (again, outdoor sunlight is best) or avoid bright light (again, indoors with dim light) at specific times to speed adjustment. Given your trip eight time zones east:
· On the day of arrival, maximize light exposure from 1 PM- 6 PM and minimize light exposure from 8 AM- 12 PM.
· One day after arrival, maximize light exposure from 12 PM- 5 PM and minimize light exposure from 7 AM- 11 AM.
· Two days after arrival, maximize light exposure from 11 AM- 4 PM and minimize light exposure from 6 AM- 10 AM.
· Three days after arrival, maximize light exposure from 10 AM- 3 PM and minimize light exposure from 5 AM- 9 AM.
The following is advice from Pete Stanley:
The normal accepted situation is it should take one day per time zone hour to re-establish the body’s rhythm.
If you were travelling a long distance and were then going to stay for an extended period there should not be a great problem as most countries will allow a holding camp to alleviate these issues prior too a major games.
If it is a quick landing in a country and then compete, and get away again I would advocate staying on original local time but training at the competition time of the country you are heading too.
To ease any situation it is advisable to change meal times as a priority to fall in line with the country you are visiting before you leave your own base. To assist in a quick process it is wise to go for a brisk walk in sunlight when you arrive at your destination assuming it is during the day. This will assist your body clock to make the adjustments.
For training I would have a ‘medium’ day of volume but not necessarily in intensity before leaving. The first training session after arrival will always be light striding/mobility or co-ordination based.
I would not work on any heavy intensity work until the athlete started to feel ‘fresh’. You could further check this by observing your weight has returned to normal and you are fully hydrated by checking your urine colour. Nothing darker than a straw colour would usually indicate your hydration has returned to normal. The regularity of training exercises has been found to speed up the time adjustment process. Within 2/3 days should be OK for most experienced athletes.