Debate if you will modern skiing’s most valuable technology, but few of us would set boot into binding beyond our own local mountains were it not for the globe-shrinking glory of the jet airplane. Unfortunately, that convenience comes with a price — one that leaves us longing for z’s in Zermatt, looking for the couch in Courchevel, barely able to gstaand in Gstaad.

Jet lag, also known as time-zone change syndrome, happens when one’s internal body clock becomes desynchronized from the local time. Adjusting the sleep-wake cycle to a new rhythm takes time, usually about one day for each time zone crossed during travel. When one of those days could be a powder day, jet lag becomes a serious concern.

Symptoms tend to occur when at least three time zones are crossed, and most people have more difficulty when traveling eastward. The most common symptoms are insomnia and difficulty waking, but travelers may also experience irritability, difficulty concentrating, headaches, muscle soreness, and gastrointestinal maladies, including constipation and diarrhea.

Recent scientific research has deepened our understanding of how the body’s sleep-wake cycle functions, and new strategies for accelerating adjustment to a new time zone are being developed. Most of these focus on the role of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the body’s rest cycle. During the day, sunlight triggers receptors in the eye that send stimuli down the optic nerve to the pineal gland in the hypothalamus of the brain. When these stimuli are received, melatonin is suppressed and the body feels awake and active. At night when there are no such stimuli from light, more melatonin is released, which promotes sleepiness. This waxing and waning is critical in controlling individual circadian rhythms.

Since sunlight seems to be a primary factor in influencing the sleep-wake cycle, some scientists have proposed using exposure to bright light to ease the adjustment to different time zones. For example, those traveling east typically have difficulty waking; exposure to bright outdoor light in the early morning should help suppress melatonin so that the body wakes faster. Alternatively, those traveling west should seek out sunlight in the late afternoon when they are feeling drowsy, to stave off those too-early nights. Given this research, oral melatonin supplements have become more popular and accepted as a form of treatment for jet lag; however, since melatonin is classified as a dietary supplement and is available over the counter without a prescription, its efficacy and safety are routinely questioned. Still, a 2005 study by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that a melatonin dose of 0.3 milligram was effective in helping people fall asleep faster. One 0.3 milligram pill should be taken approximately 30 minutes before the desired onset of sleep on the first day at the new destination, and then continued for several days to completely reset the body clock to a new time zone. Side effects may include sedation, confusion, or a feeling of disequilibrium.

Other research has investigated the relationship of certain foods to the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. High-protein foods are high in an amino acid called tyrosine that stimulates the release of epinephrine and dopamine, which cause alertness, while foods high in carbohydrates stimulate production of serotonin and melatonin, which cause sleepiness. The Argonne Anti-Jet-Lag Diet, developed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory, promotes eating high-protein breakfasts and high-carbohydrate dinners, as well as alternating feasting and fasting days, to reset one’s body clock. It has been tested on National Guard troops, who were seven to 16 times less likely to experience jet lag than their counterparts who did not adhere to the diet.

Finally, one of the most recent, and best-publicized, studies on jet lag concerns a possible benefit from using Viagra. Scientists in Argentina have shown that male hamsters that received an injection of sildenafil (the drug’s active ingredient), along with a 15-minute exposure to light, were able to shift their internal clocks by six hours in half the time required by control hamsters that did not receive the treatment. It is hypothesized that sildenafil increases levels of a molecule called cGMP in the body, which temporarily speeds up the brain’s internal clock. This benefit was seen only when eastbound travel was simulated.

Until conclusive evidence is gathered regarding the efficacy of any of these therapies, following this basic advice remains the best bet for minimizing jet lag: First, before embarking on your trip, adjust your sleeping schedule by gradually shifting your bedtime to that of the destination time zone. While in flight, drink lots of water and avoid alcohol or caffeinated drinks, because dehydration tends to intensify jet-lag symptoms. Finally, after arriving, try your best to stay awake until night, avoiding naps and getting as much sunlight and exercise as possible. Which happily means that one of the best ways to overcome jet lag on a ski vacation is simply to ski.