on a longer single run. On these shorter runs you have plenty of fuel stores and rely primarily on your heavily fatigue-resistant slow-twitch muscle fibres. The result: no lingering fatigue or damage. Instead, you get an increase in blood flow twice

, and storing more fuel in your muscles – enough to shave about three per cent off your finishing time, on average. Here’s how to inject some energy into your taper so you shed fatigue and sharpen your edge.Plan itFor a marathon, cut mileage to 80-90 per cent

that works for you, do not change it just prior to race day and make sure you have practised with any products you plan to use on the course.What should I do in the build-up to the race?The two major causes of fatigue during prolonged exercise are loss

time on stretching.The other temptation during the taper is to squeeze in some extra training. You aren’t going to significantly increase your fitness, but will risk leaving yourself fatigued. The goal now is to reach the start line feeling fresh

would say that if you do not fuel well before these races or long runs that might also increase the chance as under-fuelling will mean muscles will fatigue earlier. So if running more than 90mins perhaps sufficient fluid/fuel along the way may be useful