sugar

A study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that eating any source of protein and sugar immediately after finishing a workout helps athletes grow larger and stronger muscles (November 2006).
Athletes train by taking a very hard workout that damages muscles. They can tell that their muscles are damaged by the delayed [...]

A study from the Netherlands shows that sugar in sports drinks slows absorption and increases stomach cramping in running races shorter than 12 miles.

Fluids pass through your stomach and are absorbed almost immediately in your intestines. Exercise slows fluid passage from the stomach but does not affect intestinal absorption. Sugar added to drinks can [...]

Ribose is great stuff. Yes, it's a sugar, but sugar's not always bad for you. This particular sugar has been heavily researched after early studies showed it seemed to be able to help revitailse extremely sick hearts.

AFter reading up on it, I made it a key part of the nutritional supplement program that supports me in training and racing when other men my age (present company excepted, of course) are settling down with a pipe and a cosy pair of slippers of an evening.

I'd never tried ribose right before a run; I usually add it to my post-training recovery drink (Endurox). But today I experimented with a teaspoon or two in a glass of water, plus a cup of tea, as I was still feeling a bit tired from Saturday's tempo run and thought it would give me a lift.