Why are long haul trips like airplane rides and bus rides so exhausting, even though all we do is sit?

Question

Why are long haul trips like airplane rides and bus rides so exhausting, even though all we do is sit?

In: Other

Answer 1

I did read somewhere that most commercial planes are only pressurised to mimic a fairly high altitude so if you’re used to living at sea level you might feel more exhausted because you’re not used to the lower-than-usual air pressure. That’s why you can feel particularly zapped after a flight even if you sleep.

A quick Wikipedia search tells me that a 767 is pressurised to 7000 ft which is significantly higher than Denver and SLC and just below Aspen.