In the run-up to my first Highland Games competition in 2023, I spent 16 of 25 days traveling for work. In that time, I took seven flights across three time zones and drove about 1,500 miles. At most destinations, I arrived late, woke early, then stood on hard floors all day with limited chances to drink water. Somewhere in there, I also went to the velodrome for track cycling sprint practice (including an elimination race) and to visit a weightlifting gym for heavy snatches, around lifting & throws practices when I was home.
Despite all that, I made above-average marks in all my Games throws – just two days removed from the last trip, after sleeping on my sister-in-law’s couch.
This series is about being a Road Warrior and keeping your body in good condition despite frequent travel.
Bonus: all these tips help when you travel for competition, too.
Travel Is A Problem For Athletes
Let’s start here: air travel and hotels are the worst environments for athletic performance.
Flying across time zones and staying in unfamiliar rooms wrecks routines. The temperature and light cycles in new places tend to throw off circadian rhythm. And the constant low-grade stress of rushing from place to place makes it hard to wind down.
My task as an athlete is to minimize the disruption as much as possible so I can remain comfortable in my body, as rested as time permits, and as close to my normal routines as possible. Only after that do we worry about training!
It all starts with keeping my body in balance – which means hydration.
Manage Travel With Hydration
Riding in planes dehydrates. Between the high-rate air turnover and low humidity which pull moisture from your eyes and skin, limited freedom to use the bathroom makes most of us hesitant to drink a lot of water. That leaves slamming water before and after the flight as primary coping mechanisms…which can flood your system and send you to the bathroom anyway, now flushing precious electrolytes, too.
So I aim to drink half my bottle (375 mL) every hour of my travel day, starting the moment I wake up on through bed time. I also buy Liquid IV packets or Gu salt tablets because they are easy to carry, so I make a salty bottle before boarding. That salt flavor encourages me to sip during the flight. By the end of most travel days, I’ve had my typical 3-4 liters of water (I never get the full 5 suggested by half-bottle-per-hour, since I nap; see below…) plus some salts, but spread out enough that I don’t have to pee dance past all my seatmates during flights.
Staying hydrated keeps headaches at bay and slows down my decision-making around meals, so I tend to make healthier choices. This article doesn’t say much about food while traveling, but the lighter, smaller, and more frequently you can eat, the better you will feel.
So the first step of minimizing the impact of travel on your athletic performance is staying hydrated. Hydration for a Road Warrior means planning ahead, drinking small amounts of water frequently on travel days, supplementing with electrolytes, and picking foods that support hydration (vegetables, light proteins, fruit, natural starches like rice and potatoes, limited sauces, and very little fried foods).
Next up, we’ll cover the power of routines on getting your mind right during trips.
Jump to…
- Part 1: Road Warrior Hydration [you’re here!]
- Part 2: Road Warrior Routines
- Part 3: Road Warrior Sleep Hygiene [coming soon]
- Part 4: Road Warrior Exercise [coming soon]