Unpacking the Impact of Travel and Jet Lag on Sleep and Performance of Athletes: A Narrative Review

Travel is an essential aspect of an athlete's professional career. Yet, the embodiment of travel can lead to travel fatigue and jet lag, leading to a cascade of undesirable outcomes related to sleep and athletic performance. This review aims to synthesize the current evidence on the impact of long-haul travel and jet lag on the sleep and performance of athletes. Emerging evidence suggests that travel fatigue and jet lag negatively impact sleep, particularly total sleep time, efficiency, and onset latency, and impair the cognitive and physical performance of elite athletes. However, some studies report neutral or positive effects, often due to prior travel experience, targeted interventions, or favorable conditions like business class seating. Jet lag and travel fatigue pose a multifactorial risk to both sleep and performance in athletes. Implementing proactive, evidence-based travel management strategies is vital for optimizing athlete readiness, well-being and competitive success.