but it can also cause lack of energy and motivation, dehydration, interrupted sleep, digestion problems, disrupted bowel activity, headaches, irritability, irrational anger, loss of concentration, lack of alertness and disorientation - not what you want a few

as shattering tiredness but it can also cause lack of energy and motivation, dehydration, interrupted sleep, digestion problems, disrupted bowel activity, headaches, irritability, irrational anger, loss of concentration, lack of alertness and disorientation

is the effect it will have on your digestive system and, as a knock-on effect, your sleep pattern. Ideally, you should allow three hours for a meal to digest before you turn in, but you have to work within the time frame available to you; wait 30-60 minutes so

these may cause digestive problems on race day. So, if you do opt for pasta, use a simple sauce.When it comes to your choice of drink, stick to water at the evening meal. Avoid coffee and tea, which contain caffeine and can therefore disrupt your sleep

It's 3am on the night before the final stage and I'm sobbing into my sleeping bag. Like every other night, I'm struggling to sleep because the blisters on my feet are so painful. With only one 17K stage to go, I should be feeling confident that I

and factor in plenty of sleep.Wash your hands:You might feel like you have OCD, but a little bottle of hand sanitiser in your desk at work will avoid the spread of germs from hand to mouth. Especially those using public transport and working in open plan

be as effective as antidepressants. Nonetheless, "a lack of environmental light can make you feel low because light deprivation affects hormone levels", says Victoria Revell, a chronobiologist at the University of Surrey. This means an imbalance of sleep