人体生物钟会不会受时差影响？答案应该是肯定会，经常旅游的人往往会遇到“倒时差”的问题。比如，你从北京飞往伦敦，两地时差为8个小时（非夏令时），那么如果你在北京将要入睡的时候（假如是晚上十点）往伦敦飞，等到了伦敦可能为当天下午2点。下午2点的时候，当地人正忙得热火朝天，而你则昏昏欲睡。

这个样子的你的生物钟在一如既往地工作，在这个时钟的指引下，你的各项生理指标会完全不同于伦敦当地人的。

假如人的寿命与生物钟有关，或者说肌体的生物钟无时无刻不在为你的寿命计时的话，那么有一种可能，如果你从北京飞往伦敦，然后，再从伦敦一直逆时差飞行，那么极有可能你会把你的生物钟向“逆时针”方向拨动.

这种被"逆向"拨动的生物钟会不会影响你的生理代谢？会不会影响到你“Programmed"寿命？

 

不知道你有没有听说一种叫做“倒时差综合征”的状态（Time Zone Change Syndrome）。

什么是Time Zone Change Syndrome？

这种情况一般出现在连续跨越至少两个时差的旅行过程中，主要表现为无眠或多眠、肌肉疲劳、头痛、情绪萎靡、食欲紊乱以及白天无精打采等症状。这个症状一般要延续一到两天。

一般而言，一个人的生活越有规律，那么出现“Time Zone Change Syndrome”的程度会越严重。

来自英国爱丁堡大学和剑桥大学的一项合作研究表明，人体生物钟的控制可能与人体细胞内的DNA的活跃水平无关。他们发现，人血液中没有DNA的红血细胞（红血球）也会表现出依据24小时周期性变化的生物节律（生物钟），红血球中的一种被称为“ peroxiredoxins”蛋白质可以表现依据时间差异表现出特定的生物节律现象。

参加研究的科学家相信，与细胞生物节律有关的机制一定是细胞“硬件”的一部分（hard-wired ），每个细胞可能通过这些“硬件”维持着属于自己的独特的“生物节律”，以保证这些细胞之间表现出“差异”。否则，丧失了各自生物节律（生物钟）的细胞会变得彼此“相同”，变得功能紊乱。

很遗憾的是，我们到目前为止还不能真正搞清楚细胞生物节律（生物钟）是如何控制的，当然，我们也没法清楚作为100trillion的细胞聚集体的人的肌体的生物钟是如何控制的。

但是，很多迹象表明，人体的生物钟与光照、磁场、温度等等环境因素有关。这些因素是如何影响着肌体的生物钟的运作的？是直接的影响到蛋白质？还是DNA的活跃程度？还是影响的基于“表观遗传学”控制的“基因表达模式”？尚需要进一步深入研究。

在此，我想大胆地推测，可能细胞内的生物钟是我们人类“生物寿命”的决定者，假如我们能够改造细胞内的生物节律（生物钟），使之“跑”的更慢，那可能我们的寿命会大大延长。

 

跨时区旅行容易患病（来自最新研究from BBC)

 

International travel 'makes athletes ill'By Anna-Marie Lever Health reporter, BBC News

The researchers argue the different germs and allergens of a new environment affect the athletes.

Air travel does not seem to play a part as on returning home the competitors' health does not differ from normal.

They suggest this could contribute to a home advantage for Team GB in the Olympic Games.

Prof Martin Schwellnus, one of the paper's authors said: "It is a common perception that international travel increases illness - due to organisms in aeroplanes."

However, this study suggests that increased illness from travel is more likely to be due to the fact that the person is out of their normal environment.

Prof Schwellnus added: "The stresses of travelling seem not to affect the players because when they return home the risk of illness does not differ from normal.

"Changes in air pollution, temperature, allergens, humidity, altitude as well as different food, germs and culture could all contribute to illness when arriving in a distant destination."

Reported illness

The study tracked the daily health of 259 elite rugby players competing in the 2010 Super 14 Rugby Tournament.

Over 16 weeks, teams from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand played in all three countries.

For matches played on home turf, before international travel, there were 15 reported illnesses in every 1,000 days played.

In locations where players were more than five hours' time difference away from home, this rose to 33 reported illnesses in every 1,000 days played.

For matches played back home after international travel - illness fell to 11 incidents in every 1,000 days played.

Almost a third of all illnesses reported were respiratory conditions, followed by gut problems and skin and soft tissue conditions.

Home advantage

Prof Schwellnus said: "These findings could be relevant to the Olympics and might contribute to a home advantage."

Although Prof Schwellnus also pointed out that this study concentrated on a tournament played from February to May with participation every week - a different environment to the Olympic athletes who generally compete just once.

His research is now looking at which players are more prone to illness as some were more likely than others to become ill. He said: "It is a player thing, with certain people being particularly sensitive to a new environment, rather than a travel thing."

Other factors that have been shown to work in the home teams' favour are familiar surroundings and the backing of the crowd. But there are also factors that can have a negative impact like increased pressure and expectation and worries about letting people down.