Whether it’s fuelling a race or training session, ensuring recovery or getting the dietary basics right to ensure maximum health, optimum nutrition is critical for endurance performance.
In this section, you’ll find information on all these aspects as well as the latest findings on sports supplements, and optimising body weight and composition for performance.
All athletes know (or should know) that nutrition is an important part of ensuring optimum muscle mass. Exercise breaks down muscle tissue, which is repaired and rebuilt during recovery – providing sufficient protein is available. But while many athletes focus on protein, research shows that – for girls at least – the mineral magnesium could... MORE
What are the effects on recovery of consuming alcohol in the period following training – for example during a post-event celebration? MORE
Sauna-induced dehydration is an effective way for athletes competing in weight class events to lose weight rapidly before competition, according to a new study from Spain. However, female athletes may find the weight loss benefits cancelled out by a decrease in explosive power. Athletes competing in such events as weight-lifting, judo, karate, boxing, rowing and... MORE
How to lose fat through running Although it’s immediately apparent that there are substantial differences in physical characteristics between sprinters and long distance runners, elite runners at all distances come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and there are perhaps too many exceptions to make all but the broadest generalisations. Generally speaking though, sprinters... MORE
The later you stay up at night, the higher your risk of tacking on unwanted body fat. That’s the somewhat strange story which has emerged from recent research carried out in France. The new French studies were carried out because previous research had uncovered two startling facts: (1 ) When factory workers change from day... MORE
You finished your workout a couple of hours ago and now you are relaxing as you get your regular fix of Peak Performance. But in fact your body may not be quite as relaxed as you think. There are a number of ways in which exercise can exert lasting physiological effects that persist for long... MORE
Low-intensity workouts lead to greater weight loss than high-intensity exercise that expends the same amount of overall energy, according to a new study carried out in Greece. Fourteen healthy premenopausal untrained women were divided into two equal groups, which exercised on a treadmill at either 45% or 72% of VO2max four times a week for... MORE
Athletes from a variety of different sports feel the need to monitor their body composition. Resistance-trainers, for example, check weight changes and percentage body fat on a regular basis to ensure that the gains they make are in the form of lean mass rather than fat; endurance athletes are often concerned about potential gains in... MORE
How to lose up to two pounds of fat a year while you’re asleep! If you want to lose weight, you’ve got two options: You can either: (1) expend more energy or (2) take in less energy. Lots of people have used the second route to lose poundage, only to find that the pounds eventually... MORE
Endurance-type training usually enhances your muscles’ abilities to metabolise fat Endurance-type training usually enhances your muscles’ abilities to metabolise fat, but fat remains a bit snobbish about exactly when it is willing to provide you with the energy you need to exercise. When you run a 10k race, put forth your best possible effort in... MORE
