MuleBar Kicks Lemon Zinger Gel, £1.50Alison says: The folk at MuleBar have a great reptuation for creating tasty, natural, ethically-sourced refuelling products for energetic endurance athletes. For 2012, they've fine tuned three exisiting flavour

in search of steaming bowls of porridge. It's high in muscle-fuelling carbohydrate and is a good source of iron to maintain oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Try it Porridge is perfect before a long run because it provides slow-release carbs that keep you

.Diets high in carbohydrate and low in fat can also exacerbate the problem. One study found that a daily exercise expenditure of 840 calories (equivalent to an eight- to nine-mile run) on a 62 per cent carbohydrate diet reduced energy availability to a

need to follow a programme of progressive, consistent training.Eat And Drink Your Way Faster You’ll only perform at your best, in a race lasting more than 60 minutes, if you take on carbohydrates. A fall in blood glucose towards the end of a race can

FoodEat the right foods, such as fruit, vegetables and slow-release carbohydrates, all of which help to maintain muscle tissue. Don’t forget to drink. By staying hydrated you’ll keep your blood volume high, which means your heart will pump oxygen

than an hour, plain water is a good choice, but, if you have been running hard for longer than an hour, drinks containing sugar or maltodextrin (a slow-release carbohydrate) and sodium may speed your recovery. Researchers at Loughborough University