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As a child you were probably warned not to run around after eating, and you may have heard you'd be at risk of muscle cramps or even drowning if you swam after food. This may be part of the reason why people don't link eating with exercise, but food is vital for your workout performance, energy and strength.

Your muscles, joints, ligaments, tendons, and respiratory, circulatory and immune systems all have to work harder when you exercise. What you eat can help minimise the damage caused by exercise, and assist your body to make itself even stronger.

You might think exercising on an empty stomach is a fast track to weight loss because it forces the body to use excess fat as energy. Not so, says research by the University of Connecticut in the US. You'll just tire sooner and your performance may be poorer, so you'll end up burning fewer calories than if you'd eaten first. You wouldn't take your car on a long journey when the petrol tank is low, so you can't expect to exercise well if you haven't fuelled your body.

But overeating before a workout will cause problems as well.

Eating a big meal just before you exercise will make you feel uncomfortable and sluggish. You should be neither full nor hungry. The key is to base your preexercise meal on carbohydrates - our main energy source. We convert the carbohydrates in our food into glycogen (energy stores), which fuels our muscles. Carbohydrates are categorised by their glycaemic index (GI).

Low-GI foods (beans, lentils, coarse-grain breads, muesli, fruit and dairy products) are the best types to eat before a workout, as they produce a gradual rise in blood sugar levels, providing a slow, sustained energy release. High-GI foods (potatoes, white bread and rice, and sugary snacks) cause a rapid rise in blood sugar, sending energy levels rocketing, followed by a slump soon after.

So go for low- or moderate-GI meals, like the ones on the right, to help you get the most from your workout. Ideally, you should have a meal two to four hours before you exercise to leave enough time for your body to partially digest your food. Waiting too long between eating and exercising causes your blood sugar levels to drop, resulting in dizziness and poor performance.

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The following dishes also include other nutrients that are bneneficial for exercise:

• Beans on wholegrain toast
Added bonus: Both contain amino acids, the building blocks of protein, which are used to repair muscle tissue.

• Brown rice with fish and vegetables
Added bonus: Fish such as sardines, mackerel and salmon are rich in omega-3, which may increase delivery of oxygen to the muscles and improve aerobic capacity and endurance. The vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, aiding bone strength and the conversion of food into energy.

If a meal doesn't fit in your schedule, or your energy is low, a snack (up to an hour before exercise) may benefit you. Try:

• A handful of nuts and seeds
Added bonus: All nuts are rich in soluble fibre, which helps control blood glucose levels, plus they're a great source of B vitamins, which help release energy from food.

These snacks should be enough to keep you going during your workout, unless you're exercising for longer than an hour. In this case, consume extra carbohydrates, whether in liquid or solid form, to help top up blood sugar levels and fuel your muscles, particularly during the later, more gruelling stages of your workout, when glycogen stores are likely to be depleted. Sports drinks, energy bars or breakfast bars would be ideal.

Once you've worked your body hard, you need to refuel it promptly. Any workout uses up your stores of glycogen and breaks down muscle tissue. You need to rebuild these fuel stores and repair damaged muscle fibres as soon as possible. Wait too long and you'll feel sluggish, but get it right and you'll recover faster.

• A banana
Added bonus: Bananas contain fibre, important for stabilising blood sugar levels, and potassium, for regulating the body's fluid balance and to help maintain normal blood pressure.

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What else can help?

The following supplements may also help you get the most from your workout:

Creatine: Two studies reported in the US journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that taking the protein supplement creatine improved performance in high-intensity exercise like weightlifting, sprinting, cycling and running.

Zinc: You may need to up your levels, as exercise increases zinc loss from the body, says a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. And zinc deficiency may compromise muscle function, according to the International Journal of Sport Nutrition.

Guarana: This may help increase endurance and exercise performance, due to its caffeine content.

Whey: This milk-derived protein contains high levels of the essential amino acids needed for muscle repair. In a trial, people who took whey protein for six weeks while strength training had greater gains in lean body mass than those who didn't take it, according to the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism.

Vitamin E: A session of strenuous exercise increases the production of free radicals, which can result in inflammation. But antioxidants, such as vitamin E, may reduce this damage by neutralising free radicals before they can cause harm, says a report in Sports Medicine. Straight after exercise, opt for a moderate-GI snack or drink. A combination of carbohydrate with a little protein during the two-hour postexercise period promotes faster insulin release, enabling muscle cells to absorb glucose more quickly.

Try these refuelling ideas:

Refuelling snacks (eat immediately):

Approx 40g raisins, dried apricots or sultanas Added bonus: Dried fruit contains phytonutrients - plant compounds that may help reduce inflammation.

A pot of fruit yoghurt (150-300ml) Added bonus: Calcium-rich foods, such as yogurt and cheese, can help protect and strengthen your bones.

Refuelling meals (eat within two hours):

Pasta with tomato sauce and salad Added bonus: The tomatoes in the sauce are rich in lycopene, which helps reduce some of the cell damage that occurs to active muscles during exercise. Jacket potato, baked chicken breast and broccoli Added bonus: Rich in vitamin C, broccoli may help boost your immunity. It's also an excellent source of calcium and potassium, which help to maintain strong bones and contribute to healthy connective tissue and cartilage. The protein in the chicken will help balance the potato's high GI.

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