muscles. Experts believe it triggers extra calcium release in your muscles. "And this means stronger muscle contractions," says Dr Terry Graham, professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. Downer: "Other chemical

the simplest actions, such as standing up, and challenging activities, such as, well, triathlons. But it also needs nutrients to keep it in the best shape possible. So you need to be eating good food, not any food. The right amounts of vitamins and minerals

The Knack Of The SnackFor all sorts of reasons - scientific research, improved transport, refrigeration, additives, greed - we are taunted and tempted day and night by fatty, sugary, visually enticing foods and drinks. They're everywhere

.While the average man needs 10mg of iron daily, the average woman needs almost twice as much - 18mg per day for those of childbearing age. This is why anaemia is more common in women. It's easy to improve your iron levels by taking a supplement or asking your GP

. Brewed coffee contains just two calories per cup, so it doesn't provide the energy muscles need after exertion, but adding low-fat milk and sugar contributes calories, and the calcium and vitamin D improve its nutritional profile. And coffee contains

For all sorts of reasons - scientific research, improved transport, refrigeration, additives, greed - we are taunted and tempted day and night by fatty, sugary, visually enticing foods and drinks. They're everywhere and they can be hard to resist

of money each year trying to convince you that you need to supplement your diet to improve performance and stay healthy.The science partThere are 13 main types of vitamins, most of which we obtain from our diet. Most of our vitamin D, however, is produced

to convince you that you need to supplement your diet to improve performance and stay healthy.The science partThere are 13 main types of vitamins, most of which we obtain from our diet. Most of our vitamin D, however, is produced from exposure to the sun

to the bowl of pasta you were planning for lunch. You don't need a nutritionist to tell you that refined, processed foods such as cakes, biscuits and pastries have little nutritional value, but many complex carbohydrates are also refined, which complicates

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