Deborah McTaggart

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Can Boeing's 787-Dreamliner help you arrive in better shape?

I’m all about arriving in better shape when travelling - and I frequently experiment with all proven solutions out there from key supplements to fasting. This time I turned my attention to the actual aeroplane.

Usually when I fly to the US I am flying the 777-300. Last weekend I flew to Houston and for the first time I experienced the 787-Dreamliner. How did I miss this baby.

A Comfortable Ride

I have to say for all my long haul .. and I have done plenty .. this was the most comfortable ride I have ever experienced. Yes I flew business out, and 3 seats stretched in economy return, so that certainly helped, but I have flown plenty of business class trips. This was different. I arrived in Houston in the best shape possible, and was easily awake until 10pm. I returned to London on the Monday and was straight off the plane to work.

Why do I love the 787-Dreamliner? I have a few reasons.

The Traveller Experience

The Dreamliner is a smoother ride, offering a calmer cabin experience through noise and vibration reduction. It boasts smoother ride technology so turbulence is less felt, more internal space in the air craft as well as the largest windows of any aircraft. The dreamy lighting colour scape played out on the 30% bigger windows is a fun pleasure as well as a more spacious cabin.

The Air

You breathe easier. The cabin pressure is 6,000 ft rather than the usual 8,000 ft so you actually benefit from a little more oxygen. The decision to pressurise the cabin at 6,000 ft came about from a study conducted by Oklahoma State University and Boeing [read here] that linked the effects of jet lag to acute mountain sickness. The research showed that passengers bodies reacted at 6,000 ft similar to that of sea level - so Boeing took the decision to pressurise the 787 cabin to 6,000 ft. It could do this because the craft is made of composite plastics rather than aluminium.

The result, you feel better. Your body is able to breathe easier, as it is not working as hard as if it were pressured to 8,000 ft in dry desert air.

The Dreamliner aircraft have been built with the same robust technology used to purify air in hospital operating rooms. Its high-tech air purification system removes contaminants and odors that can cause throat irritation, while the cabin’s HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters remove bacteria, viruses and fungi. An additional gaseous filtration system unique to the 787 aircraft is said to eliminate irritants that produce a drying effect. Boeing says passengers on the aircraft will feel like they're breathing at 6,000 feet rather than the 8,000 feet atmosphere of other aircraft. This helps reduce jet lag, headaches and fatigue. 

The noise you hear when flying in a plane is the air passing over the plane at 500 miles an house, alongside the engines.

A winning combination

I fasted for 18 hours before that plane to Houston. I ate a heart salmon, eggs and spinach around 2pm before boarding. The only food I ate on the plane was a starter salad. I travelled business and I chose a flight less full. I also took the late flight, which aligned my body closer to sleeping time on arrival. This winning combination meant I arrived in great shape. I’m dreaming of my next 787 ride.

Deborah McTaggart is a registered nutritionist practising in Barnes, South West London, and global via Zoom. She works with corporate nutrition and individuals on healthy eating, with a special interest in Men's Health, Shift Work Health, Travel Health and Avoiding Jet Lag. Contact me here for further information on nutrition plans.