Runners are not designed well to deal with heat or limited water - we can survive for a moderate amount of time without food, but water is a close second to oxygen on the list of essentials to survive. Fluid is lost through sweating, breathing and urinating - for runners, particular attention has to be paid to the sweating factor. As soon as runners start to run, they start to dehydrate with about 75 per cent of the energy put into exercise converted into heat and then lost. The extra heat has to be dissipated in order to keep the core body temperature within the safe limits of around 37-38°C and if fluids are not taken on, the blood will thicken and reduce the heart's efficiency, increasing the heart rate and raising the body temperature.

You have heard and read about it so many times; your doctor has told you, you hear it on television and read it in every magazine you pick up: EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOU. You must have drawn the conclusion that exercising can help you to lose those unwanted pounds and tighten up your wobbly bits.But how does it work?

All depends on metabolism. Why? The answer is simple. Because metabolism is the process by which your body makes use of the food you eat in order to provide the necessary quantity of energy to your body.There are three ways to spend your energy daily: basic needs, food processing and physical activity. Not only an activity can burn calories, but also the moments when your body is passive, at rest. Even then there exist biochemical processes occurring that require energy to drive them.

What you need: complex carbohydrates, protein, and fat.How much of each: 55% carbs, 30% protein, and 15% fat.Complex Carbohydrates - Your body's primary energy source comes from complex carbohydrates. A few examples are wholegrain breads, brown rice, and oats. Keep away from the simple, refined carbs. The refining process that many of our foods go through is what makes them useless. A few examples are white bread, candy, cakes.Getting away from white rice and eating brown rice may not be easy for some to do but a simple change like that alone will start to show results in your energy levels and soon your physique. If you're going to be building muscle on your body then you need to have a moderately high intake level of complex carbs. Proper carb intake will ensure your energy doesn't come from protein which is busy building your muscle mass, therefore preventing any breakdown of muscle tissue.

Studies on whey demonstrate it's an even better protein supplement than previously thought. Although whey protein's health benefits have only recently been elucidated, the use of whey protein for medicinal purposes has been prescribed since the time of Hippocrates. In fact, there are two ancient proverbs from the Italian city of Florence that say, "If you want to live a healthy and active life, drink whey," and, "If everyone were raised on whey, doctors would be bankrupt."