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The preparation actually starts before the team leaves its base in Langford. The players are handed a schedule of when they should try to sleep on the plane. They also re-set their watches to the new time zone.

They also get a snack pack, prepared by the team nutritionist, and suggestions for how to stay hydrated. Some take doses of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.

Sleep is a vital cog in athletic recovery, and managing body rhythms as teams jump time zones is a big priority.

“Short answer is we deal with it as best as we can with the cards we’re dealt,” men’s team physiotherapist Danielle Mah says. “With tournaments that have greater time change, we attempt to plan to arrive as early as possible to acclimatize.”

As much as the team’s budget allows for, of course.

No matter the flight, players wear compression clothing, which helps to reduce swelling and muscle fatigue. They use lacrosse balls to relieve muscle tightness in the hip or back.

“Unfortunately these elite athletes will see more flight time in economy that most in a lifetime,” Mah adds. Unlike New Zealand, who are sponsored by Air New Zealand and are given plenty of perks, most other teams on the series, the Canadians included, end up in economy. Except for this week’s tournament — Emirates Airlines is a sponsor so everyone is flying first class.

Mah says the perks of the first-class flight “assist immensely with travel fatigue.”

The Canadians usually have to fly like everyone else. Despite being larger than your average human, the players often aren’t able to get an aisle or exit row seat. Access to the lounge, with all its perks, is usually but a dream.

Of course, the Canadians will tell you the hassles are worth it.

“It’s hot. Love it,” Harry Jones says when asked how things were going in Dubai.

And yes, of course, there’s the rugby.

pjohnston@postmedia.com

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