desire and competitive aggression. But does sex really deplete your reserves, as athletes have traditionally feared? Rubbish, says Emmanuele Jannini, Professor of Endocrinology at the University of L'Aquila, Italy. In fact, pre-race sex can give you a

by reducing menstrual symptoms. These runners prefer taking the pill so they can control their cycle and don't have to race when they are having their period. Although it is safe to manipulate the timing of your period, experts generally agree this practice

there outdid any physical discomfort. After labour you certainly have a new perception of what is, and what is not, pain.Within three months, I was back up to my pre-pregnancy times and training load, and I was ready for my first race. With some trepidation, I

bring athletes' heart rates down in as little as 30 seconds. Problem: You get bad pre-race nerves Keith's solution: Race-day run-throughBefore you leave home for the race, or even the night before, run through a 10-1 Blast Off sequence – a countdown

their running to the next level."PRE-STARTIt's now that the pre-race nerves kick in. But it's not just your incessant back-and-forth pacing that's sapping vital energy stores – sizing up the competition and playing your mile-by-mile strategy on a mental loop can

the caffeine. – Skinny Old GeezerCaffeine can mess with your race paceI normally drink 2-3 cups of tea a day, not coffee. More of a refreshment thing. For last year's Windsor HM, I experimented by cutting tea completely for a couple of weeks, then Red Bull pre-race

, decreased perceived exertion and increased running economy. In 2004, prior to the Athens Olympics, US track athletes were given the chance to attend a pre-Olympic training camp in Crete about two weeks before they moved to Athens. The runners followed a heat

a novice who grabs three or four cups of water at every drinks station during a long race, or who chugs too much water on a long training run."Now what? If you're far from home when dizziness strikes, make a phone call that’ll get you a lift home

before and after a two-hour run. Comparing the pre- and post-run scans, they found evidence of more opiate binding of the happy hormone in the frontal and limbic regions of the brain, areas known to be involved in emotional processing and stress. "There

. It's pretty cheap and stays on for days after. I've just run my first marathon, and it worked a treat. See full threadShoulder painUnclench your fistsWildWill- I find that shoulder pain is normally caused through being too tense - the trick is to try