Tuks Professor of Sports Medicine, Christa Janse van Rensburg, teamed up with 25 researchers across the world to release a report on managing travel and jet lag in athletics.
“I am overwhelmed that we managed to pull this through. It was three years of hard work, many meetings, nervousness to get the manuscript accepted then of course the timing,” Prof Christa Janse van Rensburg told gsport
“Working in the Sport and Exercise Medicine environment and having had the opportunity to go to the Athens Olympics as a team doctor for Team South Africa, I will describe this team effort as a relay team preparing to win gold at the Olympics.”
Happiness is…3yrs of hard work came to fruition https://t.co/dtlRoOKtoO and in time to assist athletes traveling to @Tokyo2020 🙃🥇🚴♂️🏊🏻Authors from🇿🇦🇺🇸🇱🇨🇳🇿🇨🇦🇫🇷🇮🇪🇯🇵🇬🇧🇮🇹🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/0CTRpNC61f
— ChristaJvRensburg (@ChristaJVR) July 15, 2021
The review and consensus statement came out just when athletes and other management staff are heading out to Tokyo, for the Olympic Games. The review will help athletes on how to deal with fatigue and jet lag.
Van Rensburg explains what she hopes athletes will get out from the review.
“Taking into consideration the lack of empirical research, we tried to put together a document that will help both athletes and their management teams to optimise performance and general health.
“Most of our South African athletes will be crossing seven time zones and enter another season (summer) to get to Tokyo. The manuscript advises them on measures to resynchronise their body clocks and also provide guidelines on managing travel fatigue.
She continued to share a message to those who are working on long projects and seeing them through to fruition.
“Believe in your project and persevere. There will be tough days but getting to the end makes it worthwhile,” she concluded.
Photo 1 Caption: Christa Janse van Rensburg featured in a Consensus Statement of Managing Travel Fatigue And Jet Lag In Athletics. Photo: Christa van Rensburg (Supplied)