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What happens to your body on a plane – and six ways to stay healthy

What happens to your body on a plane – and six ways to stay healthy

You endure physiological and psychological disturbances during a flight. Follow these tips to avoid alighting bloated, dehydrated and exhausted.

Flying can mess with your body, but there are measures travellers can take to counter the impacts. 

David Cox

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Humans never evolved to be transported through the skies in a long metal tube at more than 800km/h, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that plane travel has some pretty unusual effects on our bodies.

A recent scientific study in the journal Thorax made headlines after finding that cabin pressure at cruising altitude appears to lower blood pressure and increase heart rate, even among young, healthy passengers. This is particularly exacerbated by in-flight alcohol consumption. As a result, the authors recommended either avoiding, or at least minimising, the number of alcoholic drinks you have on a flight, especially if you have pre-existing heart problems.

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The Telegraph London

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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/health-and-wellness/eat-bananas-and-five-other-ways-to-stay-healthy-as-a-frequent-flyer-20240829-p5k67n