Over 39 million annual flights are forecast to occur by the end of 2019. That’s an all-time high. That also likely means an all-time high in jet lag. But one Danish company claims to have found a breakthrough solution.
A chef and sports scientist teamed up in Copenhagen to create ERW. Both also worked for professional cycling teams and noticed a recurring problem of jet lag in participants, which limited performance. Chef Hannah Grant, one of the founders, said:
The jet lag part was a massive problem for for the riders, the team and the staff. We’ve designed a physiologically tailored three-step hydration solution that will combat the effects of travel fatigue, jet lag, and dehydration.
Grant and her business partner Stacy Sims, a senior research fellow at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, developed a My Flight Pack. The anti-jet lag drink includes three packets, each intended to combat elements of jet lag:
- Prep – drunk before boarding to prepare the body for a dry, pressurized aircraft environment
- Rest – helps to trigger melatonin production to aid in sleep
- Wake – protein-based drink (21g) to help recover from flying
Depending upon what type of flight it is, Wake may be taken before Rest. Each drink is in powder form and intended to be consumed with 500mL (about two cups or 17oz) of water.
As reported by Wired:
During ERW’s creation of the products, it ran controlled simulations of how the body responded to the drink. In the test 20 male runners were locked in a pressurized chamber, with the simulated conditions of an airline cabin, for seven hours. The participants were then given the ERW drink or a placebo and allowed to read, sleep, watch movies or work on a computer. They could only move out of their seats twice during the entire time and only for short walking breaks.
Although the simulation simulation has not been peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal, ERW claims its test showed positive results compared to placebo subjects.
Cost
You can buy these anti-jet lag kits for $15.99 each directly from ERW (no, this is not a sponsored post nor do I receive any kickbacks…)
I am intrigued, though, and plan to give it a try.
CONCLUSION
I generally avoiding jet lag by avoiding naps…that, in my experience, has been key. But I am usually operating at a sleep deficit and will give My Flight Pack a shot to see if I can feel a bit less tired after a longhaul flight.
Have you tried My Flight Pack?
Exposure to dark/light is really the key. I will forever promote the app Timeshifter. You may feel silly wearing sunglasses inside until noon on the day before your trip to Asia, but your body will thank you.
$16 for a single serving of electrolytes, a single serving of melatonin, and a single serving of caffeine/a protein shake?
At least it can’t be as bad as the homeopathic jet-lag BS that’s perennially infesting the BoardingArea page.
I’ve been doing 36 hour intermittent fasting for a few months and am eager to try it during my next transpacific flight this week. One side-effect has been improved sleep on my fasting days so I have hope. Anybody have any experience using this?
I call this MARKETING!!!!
Do we know what the ingredients are in the tea that makes it better than say a normal peppermint tea or earl grey?
I wonder if the real benefit here is drinking a lot of water, before the flight, during the flight, and after the flight.