To keep energy and focus high, concentrate on fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and high quality proteins such as lean free-range chicken and tofu. Always have a good breakfast, lunch and dinner plus two snacks a day (say, a handful of seeds or nuts and a piece of fruit, or a rice cake with hummus), balance carbohydrates and proteins 2:1, avoid sugar and drink plenty of water.

When you’re depleting your body’s resources through extreme exercise, you need something that will instantly replenish lost glucose, water and minerals to keep yourself going. PowerBars are excellent for a carbohydrate fix (they also have a good ratio of protein to slow down energy release), or try Multipower protein and energy bars. Zone bars are not bad either, apparently. These are available from most healthfood shops.

Two hours before events, you can also boost your glucose stores by eating lots of complex carbohydrates such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains like wholemeal pasta or rye bread, and baked potatoes. But avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates – they may give you a rush but they will leave you more tired than you were before. Ensure you eat enough protein to repair muscles – at least half as much protein as carbohydrates at each meal and snack. So have nuts or seeds with fresh or dried fruit, rice with fish, tofu or lentils, and so on (the combinations are legion). Remember too that a demanding exercise regime generates more oxidants, so eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foods – go for fruit and veg in the orange, red and blue range, especially berries. Drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water at least, and supplement a high-strength multivitamin, 2g of extra vitamin C every day, and 5g of Glutamine powder before bed to aid muscle recovery.

I agree with all of the above on the Omegas. In addition to Omega 3, 6, 12 and a multi, I take Coenzyme Q10 because I have about 100 hereditary heart risks. I come from a long line of short lines, let’s say.

The one thing that I’ll add (prepare for the flame-war to begin) is ZMA. Zinc/magnesium in Aspartate form. A quick Google will find you two dozen articles on it. I do nothing out of the ordinary from the recommended. The noticeable benefits since I have added the ZMA (3 tabs at 9pm on empty stomach) is improved sleep and recovery. I used to suffer from HORRIBLE post-workout soreness. (Yes, I stretch and cool-down. Thank you.) For whatever mechanism is at play here, the ZMA has not only reduced my post-workout soreness but assisted me with insomnia and helped me get good rest.

(I used to suffer from insomnia about 3 times a week, but it was nothing worth losing sleep over. )

Personally I follow the type of diet out lined in Loren Cordain and Joe Friel’s The Paleo Diet for Athletes, which just comes down to eating lean meats, fatty fish and plenty of fruits and vegetables most of the time– as the book suggests I follow the 95% rule where 5% of the time in any given week I will eat grains or break the diet in some other way. It is nutrient dense diet, nevertheless because I am a competitive athlete working out 6 days a week. I still find it necessary to supplement my proteins and carbs, with whey and products like Vitargo’s S2 to refuel my muscle glycogen. I also use a pre-workout NO2 product on my weight training days to increase my focus, my hyperemia, and to provide creatine for increased endurance during my workouts.

I think that any athlete who doesn’t supplement is at an enormous disadvantage in terms of training performance and recovery.

And even if we are talking about a more casual training program, I still believe it’s still an enormous benefit to supplement one’s diet with simple sugars and BCAA’s after a workout to aid recovery, by say having something like a glass of low-fat chocolate milk or drinking a recovery product.

I would suggest taking a multivitamin, no matter who you are. If you are over the age of 40, find a multivitamin that is iron free. I like Rainbow Light’s Women’s Multivitamin because it’s vegan and food based, meaning I don’t have to take it with food and the nutrients are better absorbed by the body.

The only pills I take right now is L-Theanine. It’s great for multi taskers and people who have ADD or ADHD (yes, I got a client off of Adderall because of Theanine). Theanine is an amino acid that is found in Green Tea. It goes past the blood brain barrier to clear up the “brain clutter” and help you to relax. If you take Theanine without food, you’ll feel sleepy. If you take it with food, you’ll feel energized. And there are NO side effects.

I am a very active person. I like to do Yoga and run…I need to lift weights more. Because I’m scared of weights, I put Ashwaganda powder in my water. Ashwaganda is an Indian (Auryvedic) herb that is good for muscle growth and sexual potency (it’s not like Spanish Fly, you have to take it for a month before getting any of these benefits). A male friend of mine is taking it as well and I see a change in his body shape after 2 weeks. He’s really thin.

Astralgus (Chinese Herb) is also good for stamina. I’m using them both and see good results.

As for me and protein shakes, no thanks. I get enough protein from chicken! The only thing I would ask from all of my protein shake fans is to take in as much water as you do protein shakes. No one realizes how much water plays a part in fitness.

Thanks for reading.

I just take a multivitamin.

Supplements are called supplements for a reason. If you are using them, for goodness sake use them as a supplement not a replacement. No supplement can overcome a poor diet.

Within that context there are a number of supplements that work well. As previously stated, it depends on goals:

1. Protein powder. If you need more protein, and I argue most people do, then powder is a convenient way to go to add into foods that don’t have enough on their own.

2. Fish Oil. It’s tough to get enough EPA/DHA in the modern Western diet. Sure, you could eat fresh oily fish low in mercury contamination but it’s expensive and hard to find. The proven benefits of fish oil far outweigh the reluctance to pop a pill. It’s no coincidence that the increase in brain size man started when we moved to the coast and developed the ability to fish.

3. Creatine. The single most researched supplement is safe and effective for most people. It’s great for any intermittant team sport and those who strength train. It might be a little controversial to say it, but I think everyone who can benefit from creatine should take it. That includes grandma. the ability to produce power diminishes rapidly as we age and creatine can ofset some of that.

Other than that the only other supplement I would seriously look at is a Post Workout shake of protein/carbs. Not essential by any means but it can help with a lot of people, especially those training for performance.