cent in mental tests and ability to deal with the causes of stress. Running actually builds new brain cells in the hippocampus, the region responsible for memory, which deteriorates from the age of 30. "It boosts blood flow – and in turn, oxygen
to cortisol, the stress hormone. Wash it down with some Gatorade about an hour before getting horizontal. In tests carried out at Lyon University, France, athletes and couch potatoes alike who downed a high-carbohydrate drink enjoyed a sleep-inducing lower
or so higher. "In the opening stages of a marathon, the heart rate of both men and women should climb to the plateau of about 140bpm, working at about 70 per cent of your maximum effort, a guide we use for testing new athletes' fitness," says Pedlar
