Research and consensus guidance for understanding sleep, travel fatigue, and performance.
Jet lag and travel fatigue are different
Jet lag is a mismatch between internal timing and the destination after crossing time zones. Travel fatigue can occur without a time-zone change. The travel consensus considers both, while acknowledging limited evidence for an optimal management protocol.
HERO Lab investigators coauthored the 2026 athlete-travel review. It brings research and expert guidance together; it did not test a new intervention.
Eight considerations in athlete travel
Planning domains from the reviews below, with different levels of evidence.
Injury and recoveryA direct travel–injury link remains unestablished
IllnessExposure and disrupted routines may affect risk
Selected reviews and consensus statements
2026Sports Medicine
Optimizing Athlete Travel for Performance: A Scientific Blueprint for Athletes, Coaches, and Sports Medicine Staff
Hatamiya N, Holmes KE, Grosicki GJ, et al. | HERO Lab coauthored review
A narrative review integrates research and expert guidance for athlete travel planning. It generated no new data and used a non-systematic literature search. The publisher includes it in its 2026 FIFA World Cup collection.
How to interpret it: The framework is not evidence that a particular travel plan improves match performance. Findings differ across domains and populations.
Funding & disclosures: No article funding reported. Five authors disclose WHOOP employment, salaries, and stock options; see the full declarations for additional relationships.
2021Sports Medicine
Managing Travel Fatigue and Jet Lag in Athletes: A Review and Consensus Statement
Janse van Rensburg DC, Jansen van Rensburg A, Fowler PM, et al.
A 26-expert panel reviewed travel fatigue and jet lag and developed strategies for before, during, and after travel. Its recommendations combine available research with clinical judgment.
How to interpret it: Limited intervention evidence constrains certainty. Individual schedules, travel direction, and circumstances matter; the statement does not establish a universally optimal plan.
Funding & disclosures: No article-preparation funding reported. The authors report no relevant conflicts.
2019International Journal of Sports Medicine
Sleep Hygiene for Optimizing Recovery in Athletes: Review and Recommendations
Vitale KC, Owens R, Hopkins SR, Malhotra A.
This review covers sleep loss, sleep extension, and sleep hygiene in athletes. Small studies found improvements in selected performance measures after sleep extension, with differences across tasks and study designs.
How to interpret it: Sleep-extension findings and general sleep-hygiene recommendations are different types of evidence. This review does not establish that a sleep-hygiene program prevents travel-related performance loss.
Funding & disclosures: The accessible author manuscript declares no conflicts. It does not include an explicit funding statement.
2016British Journal of Sports Medicine
How much is too much? (Part 1): IOC consensus on load in sport and injury risk
Soligard T, Schwellnus M, Alonso JM, et al.
This IOC consensus includes travel within a broader athlete-load framework. Its travel section identifies an evidence gap and discusses studies that did not find increased injury rates after travel.
How to interpret it: It does not establish that travel independently increases injury risk. A plausible mechanism or a demanding schedule is not proof of that causal link.
Funding & disclosures: International Olympic Committee support. The disclosures include IOC, journal-editor, and sports governing-body medical roles.
Want to get involved?
UCLA varsity athletes can ask about eligibility for the planned Fall 2026 magnesium formulation study. Researchers and partners can contact HERO Lab about collaboration.