Flying Dry is a Bad Thing

If it takes you a full day to recover from an airline flight, it’s probably because you didn’t drink enough water before, during and after the flight.

This is a common problem: according to a Harris Poll of more than 2,000 U.S. adults, 81% of U.S. fliers whose most recent flight was an hour or longer say they need one full day or more to recover from the experience.

The cause of this “jet lag” is simple dehydration, the experts say. Flying in a pressurized airliner is like spending time in conditions drier than the Sahara, and you need to drink lots of water to compensate for this.

In a cruel irony, many of the things that people do drink on airplanes actually make the problem worse. Alcoholic beverages, coffee and caffeinated soft drinks all contribute to dehydration, and jet lag.

A New Zealand company called Above is releasing a new drink that it said is specifically formulated to address dehydration. The makers tell you how much to drink based on the length of your flight.

Above contains a mix of six electrolytes to help combat dehydration from flight travel, and six essential B vitamins, which are meant to boost energy to overcome jet lag.

However, you don’t need any special drinks to combat jet lag. Simple water will do. Make sure you have plenty to drink before you get on an airplane. Keep drinking water while on the plane, and politely decline any offers for alcoholic or caffeinated beverages.