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Fatigue Challenges in Emergency Medical Services Operations
Published in John W. Overton, Eileen Frazer, Safety and Quality in Medical Transport Systems, 2019
Air travel, which has many advantages, also presents challenges similar to those present with shift workers. In particular, jet lag, which results from traveling across time zones, is associated with complaints of sleep disturbances and overall sleep loss (Arendt and Marks 1982; Samel, Wegmann and Vejvoda 1995). Quickly crossing time zones results in a desynchronization of the internal biological clock with the external environment. This jet lag can result in significant performance decrement and impairment, clinically similar to the effects of alcohol. Both passengers and flight crews experience jet lag. The effects of jet lag vary depending on the direction of travel. Eastward travel tends to be more difficult than westward travel because traveling eastward requires a person to shorten their day. Westward travel lengthens a person’s day, and this is easier since the humans biological clock is greater than 24 hours (Dijk and Czeisler 1995).
Fatigue, Body Rhythms and Sleep
Published in Frank H Hawkins, Harry W Orlady, Human Factors in Flight, 2017
Frank H Hawkins, Harry W Orlady
Perhaps the most promising substance yet employed for the relief of the symptoms of disturbed circadian rhythms is melatonin. This is a methoxyindole secreted by the pineal gland. Following experiments at the University of Surrey with animals where melatonin was found to promote the resynchronisation of disturbed biological rhythms, controlled, double-blind tests were conducted on a group of 17 human subjects. These were performed on the London-San Francisco flight, with an 8-hour time zone difference. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in the symptoms of jet lag amongst those using melatonin (Arendt et al., 1986). At Monash University in Australia, other related studies have been conducted with similar favourable results (Monash, 1985).
Human Resource Management and Macroergonomics
Published in Robert W. Proctor, Van Zandt Trisha, Human Factors in Simple and Complex Systems, 2018
Robert W. Proctor, Van Zandt Trisha
Many of us have experienced jet lag. Jet lag occurs after long-distance flights that cross multiple time zones. Symptoms include difficulty sleeping and decreased performance (Waterhouse, Reilly, Atkinson, & Edwards, 2007). Similar symptoms arise when people try to sleep at an unusual time because of overwork or unexpected demands that kept them from sleeping at their usual time. For instance, if you had to work all night to finish a term paper, you may have tried to sleep during the day after you turned it in. Even though you might have been exhausted, you may have had trouble getting to sleep. It is your circadian rhythms that make it difficult to sleep during the day when your normal nighttime sleep pattern is disrupted.
Assessing climatic, travel, and methodological influences on whole-match and worst-case scenario locomotor demands of international men’s rugby sevens match-play
Published in European Journal of Sport Science, 2023
Eliza Ullersperger, Samuel P. Hills, Mark Russell, Mark Waldron, David Shearer, Ben Lonergan, Tom Farrow, Robin Eager, Liam P. Kilduff
Compared with matches played following no air travel, traveling eastward was associated with reductions in the overall and WCS responses profiled, with effect sizes ranging from trivial (overall average speed) to large (WCS average speed over 300 s). Decrements in physical performance have been observed in athletic individuals following transmeridian travel, (Fowler et al., 2017; Lemmer et al., 2002) responses that have been attributed to alterations in circadian rhythms and misalignment with external cues such as sunlight at the new destination. (Fowler et al., 2017; Lemmer et al., 2002; Reilly et al., 2007) Notably, jet lag symptoms may be most severe following eastward travel. (Lemmer et al., 2002; Reilly et al., 2007) Whilst it is not possible to conclusively determine, and it remains unclear whether reductions in average speed adversely affected overall match-play performance, the greater magnitude of circadian rhythm disruption associated with traveling eastward could have contributed to the marked reduction in locomotor responses in matches following eastward flights in the current study; either directly via impairment of physical abilities or increased cognitive fatigue influencing playing style. Although practical and/or logistical constrains may prevent international rugby sevens teams from arriving at tournament destinations early enough to allow circadian rhythm adjustment (a minimum of 96 h before competition is recommended Fowler et al., 2017 ), practitioners may consider implementing strategies to reduce the negative effects of transmeridian travel, (Reilly et al., 2007) particularly when traveling east.
The road goes ever on and on-a socio-physiological analysis of travel-related issues in Super Rugby
Published in Journal of Sports Sciences, 2021
Michele Lo, Robert J. Aughey, Andrew M. Stewart, Nicholas Gill, Brent McDonald
Air travel is a common feature of several individuals and team sports such as cycling, tennis, basketball, soccer and rugby (Reilly, 2009; Youngstedt & O’Connor, 1999). Frequent air travel can have a negative influence on human performance and this influence is related to travel fatigue and jet lag (Bishop, 2004; Forbes-Robertson et al., 2012; Leatherwood & Dragoo, 2013; Samuels, 2012). Travel fatigue is a state of persistent exhaustion combined with recurring illness, lack of motivation and changes in mood that appears after a single trip and tends to accumulate over repeated travel (Samuels, 2012). Jet lag is a combination of gastrointestinal and sleep disturbances, fatigue, depressed mood, and a deficit in concentration and other cognitive skills that occurs after travelling across time zones (Eastman et al., 2005). Shifting time zones creates a de-synchronization between the circadian rhythms, the rhythmic pattern of all the physiological functions and systems of the human body (Czeisler et al., 1999), and the external clock which ultimately leads to jet lag (Herxheimer & Petrie, 2002; Waterhouse et al., 2004).
Out of your zone? 21 years of travel and performance in Super Rugby
Published in Journal of Sports Sciences, 2019
Michele Lo, Robert J. Aughey, William G. Hopkins, Nicholas Gill, Andrew M. Stewart
Travel fatigue is the summation of physiological, psychological and environmental factors that accrue after a single trip and accumulate over time (Samuels, 2012). Travel fatigue is characterized by persistent weariness, recurrent illness, changes in mood, and lack of motivation (Samuels, 2012). Jet lag is a common complaint that travellers report after travelling across time zones (Herxheimer & Petrie, 2002). All the physiological functions and systems of the human body follow rhythmic patterns, called circadian rhythms (from Latin circa dies = about a day). These rhythms are internally driven biological phenomena with periodic oscillation of 24.2 h on average when measured in experimental conditions (Czeisler et al., 1999). Jet lag occurs whenever the rhythms are not synchronized with the external clock, for instance when athletes have to rapidly travel across time zones in order to compete (Waterhouse, Reilly, & Edwards, 2004). Jet lag symptoms include sleep disturbances, fatigue, changes in mood and a deficit in cognitive skills (Eastman, Gazda, Burgess, Crowley, & Fogg, 2005). The duration and severity of these symptoms depend on the number of time zones crossed (Revell & Eastman, 2005) and the direction of travel (Herxheimer & Petrie, 2002).