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
. 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
after a workout is the most crucial - your body replenishes glycogen at three times its normal rate immediately after exercise. This rate slows with every minute you waste. Try to eat a mix of carbohydrates and protein. Recovery drinks and energy bars
.Powder power Buy energy drinks in powdered form. It comes in much smaller packaging relative to the amount of drink you’ll end up with, making it more eco-friendly to transport and saving you the trouble of recycling hundreds of plastic bottles
the refined sugar that's stuffed into most of those you find in supermarkets. And if you're partial to a mid-morning muffin after a run, make them yourself using wholemeal flour – wholemeal carbohydrates release their energy much more slowly than refined carbs
sucking up energy gels and drinks - if your overall diet is high in carbohydrate (60-70 per cent of your diet) you'll enjoy better endurance. It's good to know what kind of carbs to eat when, and the GI Index can help work this out. The GI Index ranks
. Remember to save some energy for the short and sharp hill at the finish - once conquered, you've all the excuse you need to retire to the pub for a well-deserved pint.Dorney Dash 10K (Windsor, May 8)Fancy kicking off your summer's racing with a PB
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
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
it doesn't bounce; a hand-held bottle is convenient but it carries less liquid, and the bigger ones may weigh you down. Expect to pay: £3-£25Read more: Drinking On The Run9. A Complex-CarbohydrateEnergy Drink Why? A professional sports drink is the best