seen as potentially damaging to our health. This is especially so for those in training, as carbohydrates provide a vital source of energy, fibre, vitamins and minerals. Nonetheless, a few health experts maintain that some carbohydrates should

If transition is triathlon's fourth discipline, nutrition should be the fifth. Making fuelling mistakes could mean your race ends in disaster. And the longer the event, the more critical your food and drink strategy becomes. But it's not easy

. "Training rides are prime opportunities to practise race-time eating and drinking strategies," says Eberle. Once you discover a winning formula, you'll approach your next triathlon with a foolproof plan.Change it: Test new foods on shorter rides before

-hour ride or two-hour run will burn more carbs than a long recreational ride or even a one-hour race. Consume about one gram of carbohydrate per 400g of body weight. The harder you ride, the more glycogen (carbs) you require."You need plenty of energy

When you're sidelined by injury your natural reaction should be to cut back on calories until it's time to return to training - and burning energy. But the healing process demands fuel, too. "It's like fixing a house," says sports dietitian Cynthia

With three disciplines to consider, it's easy to make mistakes when you're eating and drinking during training and racing. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's easy to avoid triathlon's common nutritional pitfalls if you plan ahead

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

have saved enough energy for one last sprint, whether you plan on winning or finishing second-last," says Alistair Brownlee, 2008 Triathlon World Under-23 Champion.Don't forget to have a massage after the race. These are available at every decent

.RunRunning shoes Running/bike socksExtrasSunglassesHat (optional)Sunscreen (optional)Food (energy bars/energy gels to give you a boost if your reserves run low during the race)Water bottlesPostrace outfit: You may be modest and prefer not to strut around in your

of hundred metres and tell yourself that it will soon pass." You're going wrong when: You bonk (run out of energy) on the run because you wait until you're desperate before taking on extra fuel. Make a race-day nutrition schedule and try to stick to it