Jetlag at sportsmen: influence on functional readiness and estimation of efficiency of methods of prevention and correction (the case of hockey players)

Purpose: to assess the role of the influence of jetlag on the functional state (before, during and after the flight). Materials and Methods. 26 male hockey players (average age 18.8±0.14 years, athletic category who had the senior degree as minimum), flying from Moscow to Vladivostok and back (with the intersection of 7-time zones) at least once a month. Evaluation the role of jetlag influence on functional condition of athletes and effectiveness of methods for the prevention and correction of these conditions at this stage of the work was conducted by methods of observation, interview and questioning. Results. The main complaints after the flight are: muscle weakness (up to 69%), sleep disturbance (up to 65%), fatigue (up to 58%), lethargy and drowsiness (up to 58%). The most significant prevention methods that contribute to improving the well-being of athletes themselves during a long flight are: organizational and bio-psychosocial factors (up to 81 %). Using methods of correction after the flight, the most effective were methods related to sleep hygiene (up to 85%) and the use of dietary supplements regulating sleep (up to 50%). Conclusions. The symptoms that occurred after the forced change of time zone, recorded by observation, interview and questionnaire, indicate a significant effect of jetlag on the functional condition of athletes, especially in the first three days after the flight. Most of the methods of prophylaxis and correction of jetlag proposed by us have shown their high efficiency both during the flight and after. Athletes are positive about the use of the proposed methods, but have little awareness of their existence, which requires the creation of an accessible information block that can be distributed among athletes by the doctors and the coaching staff of the team.