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How Elite Athletes Manage Jet Lag and Travel Fatigue to Optimize Performance with Tom Clark

Feb 27, 2026

Tom Clark, a researcher and performance practitioner with F1 experience and a doctorate on jet lag, helps teams optimize readiness across time zones. He discusses why jet lag is more than sleep loss. He explains circadian timing, how light and sleep timing shift the body clock, which common tips can backfire, and practical travel strategies for reliable adaptation.

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INSIGHT

Body Clock Is The Master Conductor

The circadian body clock (SCN) is the master conductor that entrains peripheral clocks influencing sleep, metabolism, and inflammatory responses.
Zeitgebers like light, food timing, and exercise keep the clock synchronized; without them the clock free-runs longer than 24 hours, causing circadian disruption.

INSIGHT

Jet Lag Is More Than Sleepiness

Jet lag is the symptom set from a sluggish adjustment of the body clock after rapid trans-meridian travel, not just being tired.
Symptoms include slowed decision-making, mood changes, disturbed sleep, gut issues, and impaired physical performance.

ADVICE

Treat Travel Fatigue With Sleep And Recovery

Distinguish travel fatigue from jet lag and treat travel fatigue with sleep and recovery; it usually resolves after good sleep.
Travel fatigue stems from hassles, hypoxic cabin air, dehydration, seat discomfort, and logistics stress.

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If you work with athletes who travel, tell me if you’ve seen this before.

They fly across the country, and when they show up, something just feels off.

Reaction time is slow.

They’re moody and irritable.

OR they’re just tired flat when it really matters.

And we usually treat it like it’s just a sleep problem – but deep down, we know it’s more than that.

Jet lag isn’t just about being tired: It’s about your athlete’s internal clock being completely out of sync with when they’re supposed to perform.

They might be awake, but their nervous system, hormones, and decision-making speed are still operating in a different time zone.

So today we’re diving deep into this with someone who has lived this at the highest level of sport.

Tom Clark has spent over a decade working in elite performance — primarily in Formula 1 — supporting drivers and teams in one of the most demanding travel schedules in global sport.

He’s operated in a multifaceted performance role, helping athletes manage preparation, recovery, and sustained excellence under constant travel and pressure.

And he’s also a doctoral candidate specializing in jet lag, travel fatigue, and circadian disruption — researching how global travel impacts physiology, decision-making, and performance.

If you coach athletes who travel, or you want to optimize your own performance across time zones, this podcast is going to help you right now!

Quotable Quotes:

Effective circadian adjustment hinges on strategic light exposure and sleep timing, not merely on increasing sleep hours.

Traditional advice – like maximizing sleep or exercising immediately after travel – may actually hinder adaptation if misapplied.

Manipulating light, timing sleep, and behavioral adjustments are more reliable and cost-effective than supplements or ‘quick fixes.’

This Week on the Physical Prep Podcast:

Tom’s background in F1 racing, and how that got him started in sleep science and circadian rhythm
Learn how your circadian rhythm and body’s internal clock affects both sleep and performance
What jet lag is, and how it can negatively impact physical and mental performance
Why jet lag may not get the attention it deserves
Practical strategies for minimizing jet lag and synching your internal clock in new time zones
“Traditional Advice” for dealing with jet lag that may actually make things worse!
How light exposure can help speed up (or slow down) your body’s internal clock
Do supplements like melatonin help?
Last but not least, a few more practical strategies to make travel better and sleep more effectively when you’re on the road!

Connect with Tom:

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The post How Elite Athletes Manage Jet Lag and Travel Fatigue to Optimize Performance with Tom Clark appeared first on Robertson Training Systems.