Recovering from a run is just as important as fueling for the next. By taking a recovery drink after you exercise you’ll speed up muscle repair, rehydrate and give your immune system a boost. Research suggests that a combination of carbohydrate

"When you're training, time is of the essence," says sports nutritionist Drew Price (drewprice.co.uk). "Nutrient timing is the secret weapon employed by professional athletes to fuel training and race day, and to support recovery. "Carbohydrate

1. Always carry appropriate recovery snacks and drinks with you. Being prepared is an essential part of your training.2. Start eating and drinking immediately after exercise if you are training again within eight hours.3. Take 1-1.2g of carbohydrate

quick energy from refined foods such chocolate and biscuits. Ideally, refuelling should start just after you cross the finish line. This is because your body's stores of glycogen (the carbohydrate that is stored in the muscles and liver) are depleted

Nick Morgan is Lead Sport Scientist at Lucozade Sport.Read the whole forum debateQ. How early should I carbo-load? How much energy can the body actually store? hungryconsumerA. You can eat and store enough carbohydrate to fuel your marathon during

of fluid (dehydration) and reduction in the body’s carbohydrate stores. Therefore these are the two things to concentrate on getting right in the build-up to, and on, race day.In the week leading up to race day, increase the amount of high carb foods

– Apple Strudel, Lemon Zinger and Cherry Bomb – and introduced a new flavour: Cafe Cortado, named after the team's favourite Spanish coffee. Each gel contains around 30g of organic carbohydrate to keep you moving, as well as a hit of caffeine to delay

you should eat, how much and why portion control is key.CarbohydratesIn crash-diets carbohydrates are usually the first food group to get the chop but for runners they play an essential part in fuelling training.  "Carbohydrates are the most important

and try to build up the quantity over time. If you tolerate liquids better after exercise, try a specially designed recovery drink - with a balance of carbohydrates, protein and essential nutrients - straight after exercise, followed by something like a

. Drinks with a high proportion of 'complex carbohydrates', eg maltodextrin, will be easier to digest and provide a steadier release of energy than drinks made mostly with simple sugars, eg sucrose, glucose or fructose.Energy drinks without electrolytes: a