published in 2004 with the title "Biochemistry of Exercise-Induced Metabolic Acidosis," Professor Robert Robergs from the University of New Mexico makes a strong case that lactic acid has been hopelessly misunderstood. "If muscle did not produce lactate

debilitating muscle weakness. Consider the evidence. The Boston Marathon, which has been around far longer than any other, has been attracting some of the world's best runners for much of its history. If the course is unfairly fast, as the IAAF contends

that a meal of carbs plus protein (C+P) after exercise boosted the resynthesis of muscle glycogen (your body’s best energy source) more than carbs alone (C). This was an important finding because glycogen resynthesis is the gold standard for measuring

much, too soon, too fast. Every research paper and every expert agrees that this is the number one cause of self-inflicted running injuries. The body needs time to adapt from training changes and jumps in mileage or intensity. Muscles and joints need

, and the high pain threshold that runners might develop. An Arthritis Foundation paper called "Exercise and Your Arthritis" offers a more direct answer. "The stronger the muscles and tissues around your joints, the better they will be able to support and protect

and coaches generally agree that there are three ways to improve running performance: you can increase your maximum oxygen uptake, or VO2max, which measures the greatest volume of oxygen that can be dispatched to your muscles during exercise; you can extend

This extract is from The Runner's World Complete Book of Running by RW USA Editor Amby Burfoot. You can now preview it, free, for two weeks without risk or obligation. All running programmes for beginners are the same: they move you from walking

invading infections. Second, they actually signal to muscle cells to make adaptive changes to exercise. In other words, they play a key role in what we call "the training effect". Indeed, most exercise-produced free radicals remain in the muscles, never

, purple grapes and apple skins, which can have a powerful effect on cell health. A particular cocoa flavonol, epicatechin, triggers blood vessels to release nitric oxide, which relaxes nearby muscle fibres, "The evidence is absolutely compelling," Engler

the final miles of a marathon, you should be able to run faster.This extract is from The Runner's World Complete Book of Running by RW USA Editor Amby Burfoot.