One of the long-enduring and rarely questioned traditions associated with triathlon events of all kinds is the substantial pasta dinner the evening before race day. After all, who doesn't believe in the hearty, turbo-fuelling advantages of eating a

number of variables that will affect what your body needs for training and recovery and it may take some time to figure them out. The 2008 Sprint Triathlon Age Group (50-54) World Champion Jane Bell says her nutrition plan for her first year of triathlon

," Marrs explains. Genetics, ethnicity and age (over time, some people's lactase levels decline) can influence the ability to produce lactase. But Marrs cautions against eliminating dairy from your diet. "When you cut out entire food groups, you're limiting

Association and The Nutrition Society. She has completed the London Triathlon twice. Sarah regularly writes for magazines, newspapers and journals.

. Are there any particular groups of foods I should be eating that day to keep hunger pangs at bay? I tend to eat too much to satisfy the hunger, which defeats the purpose of the training in the first place. Tony RaffertyA. It's common for triathletes to battle

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