problem for healthy people." And it doesn't turn 100 years of scientific research on caffeine's performance-enhancing properties on its head. "Caffeine's effect is both psychological and physiological," says Dr Lawrence Armstrong, a professor of exercise

to concentrate — not to mention more energised for a five-miler. On top of that, coffee's high antioxidant content has been attributed to reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and Parkinson's disease, and caffeine has been linked to aiding fat metabolism

that I had dreadful physical and psychological symptoms. Realistically, in the overall healthy-eating picture, your caffeine intake is very small-print; in your situation I'd be saying "Life's too short to feel like this when the cure is in a packet in my

according to that time. Drink plenty of water or fruit juice to prevent dehydration, which can worsen the effects of jet lag. For the same reason, avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks. On the groundWhen you arrive, take a walk outdoors in the sun (without

time and eat and sleep according to that time. Drink plenty of water or fruit juice to prevent dehydration, which can worsen the effects of jet lag. For the same reason, avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks. On the groundWhen you arrive, take a walk

recommends a strong coffee or tea. Caffeine is a diuretic, but only in large amounts (four or more cups a day), and its stimulating effect is more valuable when you're in a state. Finally, support and protect your liver with milk thistle. This herb, which

. "Running jostles the contents of the stomach, and in certain people the pressure relaxes the valve that normally keeps acid in its place – the oesophageal sphincter – allowing acid to come up." The fix: Avoid common trigger foods – caffeine, chocolate, mint

daisy-fresh after a nap, you need to keep it to less than 45 minutes, when you'll hit the slow-wave slumber. Aim to hit alertness-boosting stage-two sleep by sinking a coffee before you hit the pillow – caffeine takes 20-30 minutes to take effect, so you

intake of caffeine or warm fluids, as this can speed up the movement of wastes through the body. Make sure you limit your intake of dairy products, particularly if you are susceptible to diarrhoea, and limit high-fibre foods in the days before a long race

thought about myself helped a lot as I didn't feel like I was going through a process, I felt I'd just made a decision and stuck with it. I decided to stop eating and drinking the things that made me agitated - caffeinated drinks, chocolate, fatty