Jet Lag: The Waratahs take a chance

[Danny]

The Waratahs have people talking after they arrived in South Africa 53 hours before their Super 14 opener against the Lions. After poor performances away last year, the Waratahs have decided on this new approach of arriving as late as possible.

There is a good article from rugby heaven about the opinions of John Eales and Eddie Jones (click here (http://www.rugbyheaven.smh.com.au/articles/2007/02/01/1169919468403.html)) about the Waratahs strategy, drawing on their experiences with the Wallabies tours.

Looking at the literature Rielly et al (2005) recommend at least 5 days for recovery from the performance decrements attributed to Jet Lag. The article is actually a very informative review found in Clin Sports Med (2005) 367-380. Unfortunately it is not free text. For those looking for a free text article, there is a more simple review from the BMJ (click here (http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/326/7384/296?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=jet+lag&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT)).

The Waratahs will have an appropriate recovery time for their second match but they may miss out on valuable points in their first.


For detailed info on the Super 14 injuries for 2007 visit our Rugby Union injury list (click here (http://www.injuryupdate.com.au/rugby.php))

[jellybean]

‘Will be interesting to see the outcome. Only problem is, if they do manage to win people will suggest that it is a brilliant new strategy whereas in actual fact they may have been able to win by a greater margin if they’d adopted a different approach (i.e. they could win despite their approach).

To me, the timing is wrong, both from a general international travel viewpoint and from a travelling to compete at altitude viewpoint.

The guidelines mentioned above (5 days between travel and competition to allow recovery from travel/time change) are the general guidelines provided for international travel to competitions at low altitude. This works for a majority of athletes although some will always be more sensitive than others to the effects of jet lag. We used to find, for one off races/events (i.e., one race on one day versus a full competition over a week plus) at low altitude that we could either fly in one day and compete fine the next - or we had to ensure that we had at least 5 days gap between arrival and competition (some athletes needed longer). Anything in between didn't work. The day before option can obviously save money and reduces time away from the normal training environment but is also risky in terms of travel delays or luggage/equipment delays or damage. It also provides little or no time to familiarise with a technically demanding course (in the case of road racing) although there are ways around this. Our final decision on travel timing was dependent on a range of factors, including, of course, the importance of the race/event.

When travelling internationally to compete at moderate altitude (600-2700m)(in a one-off event), however, it was a different story – the arrive one day, compete the next was still an option (as the physiological stress of being at altitude hadn’t really kicked in), but if that couldn’t be achieved or wasn’t desirable, then there was a need to arrive a minimum of one week upto 4 weeks prior to competition to allow altitude acclimatisation. If this wasn’t achieved, performance was less than optimal.

Either way, the 53 hour adjustment zone that the Tahs management have presented their players with seems detrimental to quality performance.

[Nicholas]

They did have a close win over the Lions last night which shows that they can cope with arriving as late as possible. But I don't think it is a good idea. You always feel tired after a long plane journey (like the one to South Africa which if around 14 and a half hours) so it would be good to have a rest after the flight. And then you'd have to train prior to the match. In my opinion, you should not be tired if you sleep on the plane stretched out over 2 or 3 seats. That way you can lie down which is more comfortable than sleeping sittting up! When I went to Japan last year on overnight flights (which I prefer more than whole day flights), on the way to Japan I slept sitting up and I had to waste most of the day there sleeping. On the way home, I tried sleeping stretched out and I wasn't tired at all when I got back to Sydney. This could be a useful tip if you are trying to find out how to sleep better, longer and healthier on planes!!!!!:D Therefore, my final thought on this situation is:
As long as you sleep well on the plane, you can arrive as late as possible. (Although probably not under 48 hours prior to the match).

[jellybean]

Being selective about which flights you take (their timing), when you sleep and ensuring good quality sleep when you do so are all definitely helpful. As well as the usual things - lots of water, no alcohol or caffeine.... (The Tahs appeared to be careful with this - see the Rugby Heaven article).

It seems that one of the factors that the Tahs team management took into consideration when planning the trip was the quality of the opposition (if the quality of the opposition is poor - apparently the Lions had only two wins last season - then perhaps you can take a bit of a risk with your own performance. It seems it was a risk worth taking on this occasion. Perhaps one not worth taking against quality opposition or a crucial match).

[Danny]

Being selective about which flights you take (their timing), when you sleep and ensuring good quality sleep when you do so are all definitely helpful. As well as the usual things - lots of water, no alcohol or caffeine.... (The Tahs appeared to be careful with this - see the Rugby Heaven article).

It seems that one of the factors that the Tahs team management took into consideration when planning the trip was the quality of the opposition (if the quality of the opposition is poor - apparently the Lions had only two wins last season - then perhaps you can take a bit of a risk with your own performance. It seems it was a risk worth taking on this occasion. Perhaps one not worth taking against quality opposition or a crucial match).

good point

[Nicholas]

It seems that one of the factors that the Tahs team management took into consideration when planning the trip was the quality of the opposition (if the quality of the opposition is poor - apparently the Lions had only two wins last season - then perhaps you can take a bit of a risk with your own performance. It seems it was a risk worth taking on this occasion. Perhaps one not worth taking against quality opposition or a crucial match).

I agree. That is another good point. When you play a team which you beat 50-3 last year away then you should be able to arrive as late as possible. But I think they would still need to train prior to the match. The Waratahs only won by 9 points though which meant that they only won narrowly and they might not have had a lot of time to train because they arrived late. So the next time they go to South Africa, I think they should arrive 4 days prior to the match so they have time to rest and train proir to the match.

[Danny]

"It was pretty tiring," Baxter said. "The late arrival and altitude, I certainly wasn't fresh at all. I did what I had to do but didn't do any extra which I would have liked to do. Al Baxter NSW Waratahs prop.

But a win is a win and Ewen McKenzie is one relieved coach

Relieved coach still on a high

Rupert Guinness in Johannesburg
Monday, February 5, 2007
Rugby Heaven

With a season-opening away win at altitude in South Africa belonging to the NSW Waratahs, coach Ewen McKenzie has revealed how he feared that his audacious plan to arrive in the Republic only 53 hours before the game would prove to be a disaster.

After the Waratahs defeated the Lions 25-16 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg on Friday night, the Waratahs left for Durban on Saturday, where they will play the Sharks this Friday (Saturday morning, Sydney time).

McKenzie, a World Cup-winning Wallabies prop, was like a man who just had the weight of the world lifted off his broad shoulders. Discussing the Super 14 debut of 18-year-old pivot Kurtley Beale and the nerves the Mt Druitt player openly showed before the game, McKenzie said: "He was a bit edgy. All of the guys were.

"But I was probably the most nervous because my arse was on the line. If we crapped out everyone would be bagging me for the rest of my life about taking the team there late. I was chewing my fingernails off well before the game. So I was happy to get through that."

The players were happy too. Several of them yesterday spoke of the added fatigue they felt post-match, including tight-head prop Al Baxter.

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"It was pretty tiring," Baxter said. "The late arrival and altitude, I certainly wasn't fresh at all. I did what I had to do but didn't do any extra which I would have liked to do.

"But we came away with a win. And if you can turn up two days before a game at Jo'burg after a 14-hour flight and get a win you have to be happy."

However, Rocky Elsom believed that for all his suffering in a barnstorming match that saw him score NSW's second try just before half-time, he came off better than in past visits to the high veldt.

"It was pretty difficult, the conditions. It's always hard at Jo'burg and [with it] being first game of the year I was blowing more than normal," he said. "But in hindsight, I usually struggle at Jo'burg a lot worse than that. And I usually struggle a lot worse in my first game of the year."

Elsom's spirits were buoyed too by the 5000 rand ($905) he won for being named man of the match - a tidy sum that he admitted "you don't get in Australia" for being best on field.

With their three-tries-to-one win over the Lions handing NSW four competition points, the Waratahs can now focus on their next game - against the Sharks and at the sea level of Durban.

In the aftermath of Beale's off-the-bench showing against the Lions, McKenzie realises anticipation will increase about when - or if - he will start the former St Josephs College student during this tour. After coming on for the last 25 minutes against the Lions, Beale spoke of his "dream" to earn the No.10 jersey - but admitted he is happy to simply make the 22-man squad until it is felt he is ready.

The Waratahs are cognisant of the risks that would come with throwing Beale to the wolves and selecting him in a starting XV. Then again, as McKenzie showed by his preparation for the South African trip, he is not afraid to try new things - i.e. gamble.

"You don't want to give him too much [early game time]. Keep him a little bit lean. That will keep him enthusiastic," McKenzie said. "If every time he goes out there the contribution and balance sheet is positive that is a good sign. He's only just 18. He has another 10 years. There's plenty of time to watch him. We don't have to make it all happen in the first week."

McKenzie was impressed with Beale on the field, where NSW players was subjected to abuse from a hostile crowd with a penchant for calling Australians "sheep shaggers".

"He mixed the game well," McKenzie said. "There was an awareness of the field position element of it. There is in him an understanding of where the game needs to go. That is the right sign that in terms of game management he is coping well."

[jellybean]

Thanks for posting Dan.

Nicholas, based on my comments above (the need to deal not only with jet lag but also the effects of altitude), my advice for a match in Jo’berg against quality opposition (or some otherwise crucial match), would be to ensure (in addition to the in-flight measures) that they had seven clear days in between arrival and game day. (Longer than that is probably not realistic for a one-off Super 14s match).

The problem with cutting the time between arrival and game day any shorter (as evidenced by the comments above, if, in fact they are true, they are media reports) is that if players feel bad physically then they start to get affected mentally – self-doubt creeps in and their focus swings from execution (focussing on what they need to do to perform well) to the result (what might happen – they might lose) and performance suffers as a result. Against quality opposition you won’t get away with that and you potentially set yourself up for a series of poor performances, not through loss of ability just through loss of confidence. With good planning that is completely avoidable.