lead to low blood sodium levels," says Ingleby. "This makes it difficult to regulate the nervous system." That's why energy drinks contain sodium. Stay hydrated, and give the shaker a miss - but don't obsess about salt.In practice: Beans on toast

The Day BeforeYour goals for the day before your race are to top up your glycogen stores, stay well hydrated and avoid any pitfalls that may jeopardise your performance the next day.  Graze Eat little and often throughout the day. Choose high

cent less sugars than regular sports drinks. It contains electrolytes to help you stay hydrated and B vitamins for energy. But with only 50 calories per 500ml bottle, you can drink it knowing you won't consume more calories than you've burned

-wicking apparel, hydrating regularly to keep their body temperature down. Salt tablets balance electrolytes (low levels weaken muscle contractions and cause cramps).5. Water FixTo maintain competitive equality, runners get 1.5 litres in the morning, and 1

.Aim for 3-4 efforts/intervals for the first two weeks and then increase to 6 intervals per session.Here is an example:Have a high-carb meal three hours before the session. Stay hydrated and rest before the session. Take an energy gel 20 minutes before your

hours between resistance workouts of the same body part - vary your training routine so the same muscles are not being worked every day. Stay well hydrated both during and after a training session and consider using an isotonic drink rather than plain

of hydration levels; observing breathing patterns; working out split times; watching competitors and - in my case - counting in my head to determine where I am within each mile. This is something that I started doing a long time ago as a means of focusing

. "I might have to pee during the race."Think you'll be the first? Any time a group of hydrated, nervous people gather, nature will call. It's a fact of life. Be discreet and no one will notice your pit stop."I'm eating the wrong food before my race

have never done that in a race before. As each mile went by, I got slower and slower. I didn't have any excuses - I have done the training, I had no injuries, was well rested, I was properly hydrated and had plenty of food, so I think the whole thing

. I felt great - I was well-rested, well-hydrated and ready to run. I soon managed to settle into my 7:00-mile pace and everything was going well. I'd never felt so good running and was well on target to achieve my 3:10 goal. But at Mile 15 I felt a