muscles to recover faster after a run as well as boosting your immune system. Calcium and magnesium in oranges contribute to healthy muscle function. Try it Drink fresh orange juice diluted half and half with water during a run to provide energy as well

Eating a balanced and varied diet is vital for energy and good health. "While the most important thing is to get enough energy through complex carbohydrates, without a range of other nutrients you risk injury and infection," says Laura Wyness

's inefficient and will almost certainly lead to injury. Think about it: if your foot lands too far ahead of your centre of gravity, ahead of you, the result is a braking action. You are slowing yourself (and wasting energy) with every step. Overstriding also

carbohydrate in endurance sports. Also, women use up more lipids than men do, and so may rely more on them than on carbohydrates as a source of energy – lipids take longer to break down for energy use. These gender differences are associated more with running

mineral molybdenum, which assists energy production in your cells.Iceberg lettuceIt's always been An inexpensive way for restaurants and takeaway joints to offer a green salad with every meal.It's also A source of vitamin K (one  75g serving provides up

appetite later and you'll crave calories (often from fat) that night.Count the carbs: Sure, you need a full supply of carbohydrate energy before a big race, but many runners take in too many high-calorie carbohydrate foods day in and day out, notes

react by overeating, and you also won't gravitate to junk food when you're not really hungry.Raise the bar: Use energy bars whenever you feel ravenous. They're high in nutrients and low in fat. They can fill you up on 250 calories or less, provide

for the American Dietetic Association. "And that's where your power comes from."The benefitsBecause protein slows digestion and lowers a food's rating on the glycaemic index, it prevents high-energy carbs from sending your blood sugar soaring, then crashing. That

, because heating cocoa releases more disease-fighting agents.TeaTea doesn't refuel the body with energy. Black, green and herbal varieties all contain almost no calories when brewed. So swirl some low-fat milk and a shot of honey into your cup to improve

. The body needs vitamins in tiny amounts but it needs them regularly. Vitamins do not have any calories, and therefore provide no energy. However, they are vital to the energy-producing process, and a deficiency in vitamins in this chain will result