Jesus.

Why did I google that?

Not convinced by the protein shakes / energy drinks myself.

I was a county standard 400m hurdler back in the early 90s, my 'isotonic drink' was a dash of salt in my orange squash... and it was all about carbs back then. I don't ever recall anyone having a protein drink - we were just told to eat lots of meat.

I would agree that the 'average' gym go-er does not need sports supplements. But then again, I think its hard to define the 'average' gym go-er.

Robinson's Fruit and Barley for me - because I sweat like Gary Glitter in a primary school playground, and the barley helps me retain water.

If you run barefoot properly, its healthier than running with shoes. The reason is the impact force is distributed amongst the muscles and pads in the foot with the shock being absorbed by the calfs and thigh muscles. The only problem is running on sharp stones and other debris but that's where shoes like the vibram five fingers comes in.

As for the show, I really don't think it said anything that a lot of people didn't already know. The biggest thing that annoyed me about the show is that it didn't cover the biggest problem in the sports supplements business, and that is not does the ingredients do what they're advertised to do but that the ingredients on the side of the tub is actually in the product itself.

There was an independent person who purchased a number of protein tubs from different manufacturers and got them tested by an independent lab a month or so back and found that a lot of em contained only a small percentage of the protein they claim.

When I was a kid Lucozade was a compensation for being ill, the way eating ice cream was when they took your tonsils out (does anyone ever have their tonsils removed these days? Seemed half the kids I knew did when I was young).

It's not surprising the programme found lots of hokey 'science' behind the claims, some people want to dodge the hard work and believe than buying produce X or Y will make them fitter, faster, longer (or whatever!) without putting in the training, the big companies just exploit those people's stupidity/laziness.

The talking heads at the gym were great - The number who quote brand after brand and quoted manufacturer claims as fact was eye opening.

More worrying was the kids at the football guzzling down high sugar drinks "because Wayne Rooney does" - Yet another reason to despise professional footballers (as if anyone needed one...). Although judging by fat boy's performance in the Euros, to be fair to him, he may well have spent his suspension guzzling the stuff!

The gait thing was, I thought, a bit of a red herring. No-one's going to run in bare feet (well Zola Budd, but...) and certainly not on city streets! After I broke a knee a lot of my physio was spent correcting my pronation, so I know that's important and if a good trainer can help with that it's got to be good (the same way canting a ski boot will improve your skiing and protect your knee, if you need it).

M

Using my VFFs in the gym has been a brilliant experience. You have a real connection to the floor, like it'as part of you (OK that sounds a bit wky) when one wears normal trainers you might has well be walking on sponges. I find them absolutely ace for stuff like bear, squats and presses, just about anything. And thanks to the grip it feels like you are stuck there once you get your stance. They really are quite brilliant.

Yep, I was doing leg/plyo stuff last night - hang cleans, kettlebell cleans, dumbell squat jumps, etc.....felt very safe in my VFF

Wasn't bodybuilding.com fined for selling supplements laced with steroids?

Your posts on 'bodybuilding', and the required nourishment to support it, demonstrate that you haven't got a clue what you are talking about (but then again, if running marathons is your thing, then the chances are you have no experience on the subject, so it's hardly a surprise.)

Racing flats were not sold for trail/distance running (still arent)