skimmed milk and free from artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners. Independent research shows it helps athletes do 40 per cent more training. Each drink comes in a large and easy-to-hold bottle with more than enough milkshake for a thirsty runner

, and drink plenty of water before you leave. If you can't face eating so early, take a sports drink or a banana smoothie to sip as you run, and make sure you refuel within 20 minutes of finishing your run. And you can feel suitably smug – runners bottle out

adapting to a regular (or increasing) training load. Long runs, hard sessions and races also leave your immune system dramatically lowered, so knowing what to eat, drink and do immediately after exercise is vital for staying fit and healthy too.Keep Moving

the perfect isotonic drink, mix 500ml of fruit juice with 500ml of water and 0.5g (one eighth of a teaspoon) of salt, or 200ml of squash (organic or without artificial sweeteners and additives) with 800ml of water and 0.5g (one eighth of a teaspoon) of salt

to drinks station etiquette, you'll be well-versed in the race-day details that add up to marathon success.Wymondham 20 (Norfolk, March 7)As you’d expect of a race in Norfolk, the Wymondham 20 is pancake flat. But even though that obvious attraction draws

and coming up against the dreaded "wall". Sports drinks and carb gels are great for topping up your energy levels during a long run or race, but increasing your carb intake three days before the race will help make sure you reach the startline with maximum

, offering jelly babies, orange slices, drinks and even beer to the annual invasion of runners."This is such a great event and the support from the spectators is fantastic. The buzz of the whole event seems just the thing to get any beginners hooked

sweets, drinks and hugs (if you need one). Instigated by Moomoo and RichK five years ago, the Mudchute support point has been a welcome feature of many a RW forumite's London Marathon ever since. Moomoo says, "Being part of something that takes such a lot

only absorb 240-280 calories an hour, so snack from the start, before you get hungry, and eat carbs little and often to dodge the dreaded ‘wall'.Even the most sweet-toothed runner would struggle to fuel themselves entirely on energy drinks, bars

. Further studies have discovered that as a sporting fuel, honey performs on a par with glucose (the sugar in most commercial energy gels).Honey and commercial energy drinks and gels offer very similar amounts of carbohydrate. However, energy drinks and gels