Do you travel a lot? Chronic Jet lag effects on the brain
It can cause some serious neurological disorders according to a new study
Neuro Athletes,
By now, you know how much I travel. This year alone I have travelled to and from Australia to the US 4 times, I went to Europe once and I travelled from NY to Miami, Tampa and los Angeles.
It’s safe to say, I’ve had my fair share of jet lag and it isn’t nice.
If you travel frequently, you’ve experienced jet lag.
When we travel long ways, the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythms) experience a disruption.
Due to this, your body is confused about when you should sleep…and you may experience headaches.
It also affects the body’s temperature and eating habits as well.
This condition will persist until your internal clocks adjust to the new time zone.
But this is what you’re feeling or experiencing in your body but what about your brain?
What’s happening in your head?
Does it have any effects on your brain?
To find out, a study was conducted on a mouse’s brain.
Mice were divided into two groups:
CJL Group
Mice were subjected to a simulated jetlag protocol, in which their normal light-dark cycle was shifted forward by six hours every two days for a total of 21 days. This was done to create a chronic jetlag (CJL) condition in the mice.
Control Group
Control mice were kept on a normal light-dark cycle throughout the experiment.
Both CJL-treated and control mice were housed in groups in standard cages and had free access to food and water.
After 3 days of the last phase advancement at day 21, both CJL-treated and control mice were euthanized at ZT1, ZT7, ZT13, and ZT19.
For each subsequent experiment, at least three CJL-treated mice, and three control mice were tested and/or dissected at each time point.
The results were:
Genes associated with serious neurological disorders were differently expressed in two brain regions, the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex.
It was also observed that Chronic Jet Lag (CJL) caused a decrease in glucose levels in all regions of the brain. These results imply that brain activation or glucose metabolism is largely affected by CJL.
They also found out that Serotonin levels are changed in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter responsible for functions such as mood, sleep, and digestion.
The study suggests that chronic jet lag may increase the risk of neurological disorders by disrupting key regulatory genes and serotonin levels.
So, how to avoid the potential risk of some serious neurological disorders?
As I travel a lot, too, here are some tips on how to reduce the effects of jet lag:
Avoid alcohol during the flight and 24 hours before boarding a flight. If you haven’t seen my instagram reel on the damaging effects of alcohol, please check it out here.
Avoid eating on the flight: Turns out, traveling on a plane can do a lot of bad things to your body—including shutting your digestive system down once you reach a high altitude. After you get off the plane, though, it all restarts. No need to worry, right?
Wrong! Since you’ve been munching over the course of the hours-long flight, your system goes into overdrive in order to digest all of that fatty and salty food. As a result, you’ll feel more groggy and tired than usual; not unlike the lethargic feeling you have after a big Thanksgiving meal. Skipping the meal entirely, however, will make you more alert.
Hydrate: airplane cabins are known for their low humidity because the manufactured air in the cabin is made to mimic the highest altitude humans can breathe at, usually between 6,000 and 8,000 feet, according to the World Health Organization. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. You might not think of it as an airplane hack, but drinking plenty of water could be the difference between showing up at your destination refreshed and stepping off the plane with a headache.
Sleep kit: My sleep kit includes a sleep mask, ear plugs, blue light blocking glasses, GABA and Glycine.
I hope this helps you on your jet lag journey.
Until next time,
Louisa x
Great tips, thanks. In the High Intensity Health podcast you mentioned an app you used to prepare you for the timezone change. What app are you using?