's especially valuable during long training sessions or races, when steady-release energy keeps you from running out of energy. During fuel shortages, your body sends protein to the liver, where it is turned into backup carbs.But the power of protein doesn

and coming up against the dreaded "wall". Sports drinks and carb gels are great for topping up your energy levels during a long run or race, but increasing your carb intake three days before the race will help make sure you reach the startline with maximum

The average person eats 230 sandwiches a year. That’s a lot of bread (and BLT) and no bad thing for runners. Sandwiches are handy for eating on the go and between meals. They’ve come a long way since the 1750s when John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich

of these chewy and moist bars in a flavour you'll like. They're nutritionally excellent, but some tasters felt they were an effort to eat on the run. Contact www.scienceinsport.com; 01254 246 060

You've probably had a busy start to the year. Not only do you have to fit training around your work commitments, family and social life, but you also have to decide what training to do, when, for how long and how hard. With so much to occupy your

A. It's not too late, although you probably don't have many long runs left to try anything new. To start, I would look at other types of gels or suggest reducing your gel intake. You could also carry another source of energy with you, such as Jelly Beans

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

running. Most runners understand the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet, and fresh, seasonal food can play a big part in making sure your diet is made up of the freshest and most nutritious food available. Spring is the perfect time to start eating

This section is adapted from the book, Eat Smart, Play Hard, by Liz Applegate. You are not the average person. You’re the above-average person. You walk, swim, run, cycle, lift weights, play golf, or do some other type of physical exercise on a

instead of meeting friends for an early evening run. Here are some simple eating strategies that will keep you energised:Shrink your mealsRather than super-sizing your meals, keep portion sizes small to avoid stuffing yourself like a Christmas turkey