Continuing our theme of learning from our hunter-gatherer past, we will now look at what happens when we go without food. What exactly happens when we rush to that training session famished after work, or if we skimp on calories and try to train? Further to this, what happens when people go to the extremes and totally go without food?

“The importance of adequate caloric and fl uid intake must be rated at least as highly as that of oxygen” [1] Although this quote is written in reference to climbing Mt Everest, the same principals apply to hiking, long distance backpacking and mountaineering. These are all forms of endurance sports that require a good nutrition strategy. So where do you start?

Athletes are always looking for that competitive edge. Whether it’s something easy they can pop into their mouths or a high-tech swimsuit to shave a few seconds off in the pool. Supplements, like sports gear, appear very enticing and choosing the right type can be very confusing.

The question I get asked the most is “What is the best diet to follow?” It’s an open ended question and the answer is sometimes fraught with danger. The response really depends on who’s asking the question, their past experience with dieting and most importantly their expectations of what a diet will do.

While the word ‘diet’ is still looked upon by health professionals as a dirty word, the world of dieting trends entice millions of people each year. While their advocates promote these diets with vigour, unbridled conviction and even seemingly strong scientific evidence, in essence they sell hope. Hope for those who have struggled to lose weight all their life, hope for those who fear gaining weight, and hope for those who want an easier way to balance their lifelong battle with food. In this article we will have a look at how dieting trends have changed over the last quarter century.