Learn from the pros

Drink beetroot juice like David Weir

It’s been reported that Paralympic superhero and gold medallist David Weir, AKA the Weirwolf, drinks vast amounts of beetroot juice. In fact the purple stuff is cited as being his all-time favourite energy drink.
Research backs up the Weirwolf’s choice in drink. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and undertaken at the University of Exeter, found that drinking beetroot juice could improve stamina. Similarly, researchers at the St Louis University in America found that eating beetroot could help runners finish a 5k run faster. Other researchers from the Queen Mary University of London, University College London and the University of Exeter and Plymouth, also found that the nitrate chemical found within beetroot juice may help lower blood pressure.
So, if you want to reap all of the benefits and be as powerful as Weir, try drinking beetroot juice.

Stretch like Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican dubbed as the world’s fastest man, is a big fan of stretching. When talking about stretching, Bolt says, ‘It's so, so important to stretch before and after a race. I have a physio who stretches me.’ You may not be able to have a physio on hand to help you stretch, but you can definitely take Bolt’s advice and incorporate some stretch sessions into your routine.
Still not convinced? Well, the Mayo Clinic states that stretching can improve your flexibility; in turn this can improve your performance and decrease your risk of developing an injury. So, although it may seem like a low priority, stretching is important and is certainly one healthy habit we should all steal from Bolt.

Sleep like Paula Radcliffe

Don’t think sleep is important? Think again. Not only is getting a good night’s sleep key to good health, catching enough Zs could also help to improve your training.
One lady who knows the importance of sleep is marathon champion Paula Radcliffe. According to Paula Radcliffe’s physical therapist, Gerard Hartmann, Paula would sleep well, ‘sometimes 14 hours straight’ before a big competition. Hartmann also said that Paula would have a, ‘two-hour afternoon nap.’
Although most of us aren’t fortunate enough to take afternoon naps and might not be able to sleep for 14 hours each night, aiming to get a decent night’s sleep is definitely a health habit we should all steal from Paula.

Rest like Venus Williams

Venus Williams is a hard worker, yet even she takes breaks. Venus says that she works out five days a week, and sometimes six. But her aim is to work out five days a week, which gives her a much-needed two break. According to Venus, when she returns after this rest period she’s stronger.
If you’ve been working out a lot, take a leaf out of Venus’ books and try to incorporate some rest into your training plan. Your body will recover on these ‘down days’ and you should find that your performance actually improves when you return to your training programme.

Eat like Mo Farah

As the first Briton to win Olympic gold in the 10,000m, any diet advice from Mo Farah is going to be worth listening to, even if he does claim to eat Frosties for breakfast and has a weakness for coffee and dark chocolate.
Frosties aside, Mo does have some great nutritional advice. In his opinion, his best diet tip for amateur athletes is to make sure they have a good balance of carbs and protein. He warns though that too many carbs can be a hindrance.
Research supports Mo’s advice. A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism in 2003 discovered that when participants ate a combination of carbs and protein they had greater performance gains compared to when the participants ate carbs and no protein.