Why Business Travel Wrecks You—and What To Do About It
A human performance expert breaks down what's really going on in your body when you suffer from jet lag, and how to stay sharp on the road.
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Andrew Herr spent years advising Navy SEALs, elite athletes, and Fortune 500 executives on how to maximize performance under pressure. From the battlefield to the boardroom, one problem kept coming up. "Travel wrecks me," his clients told him.
And they weren't exaggerating. According to industry data, 93% of long‑haul travelers report experiencing fatigue, malaise, and impaired concentration from jet lag.
That frustration led Herr to create Flykitt, a system designed to eliminate jet lag and help travelers stay focused and functional. It's now used by professional athletes, executives, and anyone who's tired of arriving in a new city wiped out before the work even begins.
Herr recently joined me on the One Day with Jon Bier podcast to explain the real reason for the lag in jet travel—and why the usual fixes rarely work.
The problem starts with cabin pressure
Jet lag isn't just about adjusting to new time zones. It starts before you even land.
"When you're flying, you're usually going to about 8,000 feet of relative air pressure," Herr explains. "That drop in pressure and the lower oxygen level cause inflammation, which lowers your energy levels, disrupts sleep, messes with your joints, causes anxiety, and stops your circadian rhythm from resetting."
That's why you feel so foggy and stiff after sitting on a plane, even if you didn't fly overnight. "It's not just the dry air," he adds. "Flying causes your body to fight itself."
Related: 6 Tricks to Tackling Jet Lag
Sleeping the whole flight isn't enough
Travelers often think that as long as they sleep during the flight, they'll rally once they land. But even beyond the inflammation, Herr warns that mistimed sleep–and even too much–can leave you just as jet-lagged. For example, if you sleep at the wrong time or too much, you won't fall asleep the next night, and then you're in trouble. To feel great, it's about syncing your rest timing to work with your body's internal clock.
In the Flykitt jet lag app, the algorithm calculates the ideal window to fall asleep, based on your flights, your arrival time, and your body's rhythms, all personalized to you. "We guide you on optimal sleep timing and supplements to block the inflammation and get you to sleep the exact right amount on the plane," Herr explains. "That helps you adjust smoothly to the new time zone when you land."
The goal isn't just to get rest. It's about recalibrating your body to adapt from where you've been to where you're going.
Caffeine isn't the solution
Many travelers rely on coffee and other caffeinated beverages throughout the day to get them through but Herr says this can be the wrong tactic. When your body is inflamed and your sleep-wake cycle is out of whack, a lot of caffeine can amplify the problem. "It might even make it worse if you're already inflamed or anxious," he says. So, Flykitt includes a special circadian reset mix that includes just the right amount of coffee to optimize how you feel without overdoing it.
Flykitt will also roll out what Herr calls a "focus module"—a structured set of tools designed to support mental clarity and energy. It will combine short breathwork exercises, stress relief techniques, and brain-supporting supplements to help your system rebound naturally.
Related: Do You Drink More Coffee Than Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Other Creative Leaders?
Recovery can take longer than you think
Jet lag doesn't hit all at once, and it doesn't resolve itself after one night of sleep.
"What people notice is, even after they get to the new location, they still feel off," Herr says. "They're not sleeping well, they're not digesting properly, they feel brain fog, and their mood's off."
Many travelers assume the body will naturally bounce back the next day. But Herr says that misconception leads to more problems. "Most people wait until they feel terrible to take action," he says.
His advice: Don't wait until you're wrecked. Do the work upfront and avoid the crash. Flykitt's recovery protocol starts the morning you leave and continues for 36 hours after landing.
Jet lag is not inevitable
Most travelers accept jet lag as just part of the deal. You fly long hours, you feel awful for a few days, you power through. But Herr says it doesn't have to be that way.
"We're finding people in a spot where their whole routine is disrupted, so they're used to feeling terrible," he says. "And when they feel the impact of what using the right tools at the right time can do for sleeping better, eating better, and managing stress, it clicks."
Flykitt's approach is built around that moment of clarity—when people realize they don't have to lose days of productivity or enjoyment just because they crossed a few time zones.
"You can struggle through it," Herr says. "But why would you when you don't have to?"
Related: This CEO Says the Secret to Growth Is Knowing Who You're Not For
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