If your workouts are leaving you exhausted - or, indeed, if you are too knackered to exercise at all - it may be that you aren't consuming sufficient iron, particularly if you are female. The 2003 National Diet & Nutrition Survey found that 91% of women aged 19-64 were consuming less than the recommended daily allowance for the mineral. We're not talking anaemia here - it is quite possible to have an iron deficiency without being anaemic - and, in fact, research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that around 12% of pre-menopausal women had enough of an iron shortfall negatively to affect their endurance capacity. Of course, the ideal way to boost your iron intake is to eat more iron-rich foods, such as lean red meat, liver and oysters, as well as non-animal sources such as legumes, nuts and seeds, fortified cereals and leafy green vegetables. But if you need a helping hand, Spatone is a highly absorbable, iron-containing mineral water that comes in single-serve sachets. It tastes a bit, er, iron-y, so add it to orange juice to disguise the metallic flavour and enhance its absorption; £6.49 for 28 sachets (or a month's supply), from Boots and healthfood stores nationwide; 01492 640057 for stockists.
First base
Want to find a table tennis club, an indoor athletics track or a Lindy Hop partner? No? How about a tug-of-war team, an outdoor swimming pool or a petanque club ... Finding the right kind of sports or activity facility in your neighbourhood has always been tiresome - even with the internet. A new website, sportsbase.co.uk, aims to make the search much easier by providing what it promises is the UK's most comprehensive and up-to-date sports and activity database. You can search by postcode, activity or club name, and the service is free. I gave SportsBase a whirl and found it quite useful (my nearest petanque club is just 6.7 miles away!), but its long-term success hinges on whether the clubs and venues it has included are willing to play the game by expanding on the sometimes limited information provided and regularly updating their pages.
Sole to sole
Two new running shoe launches this month give an interesting perspective on marketing. In the blue corner, we have the GEL-Kinsei from Japanese athletic shoe heavyweight Asics. Five years in the making and packed with technological features, such as interactive shoe segments, a biomorphic fit, Pebax heel plate and visible forefoot gel, Asics claims this is its best shoe ever, a statement reflected in the £130 price tag. 'The nearest one can get to a completely natural running experience,' says the press release - in other words, they've drawn on every scrap of science and technology to recreate the feeling of running barefoot. Meanwhile, in the red corner, Nike's new Vaporfly is about as pared down as you can get. In fact, this shoe is so lightweight and minimal, it's designed to last for only around 300km, which makes it practically disposable in running-shoe terms. And for this fast, flexible and seamless wonder you pay £45. Fascinating, huh? Asics, 01925 243360 (asics.co.uk); Nike, 0800 056 1640 (nike.com).
