Food as foot soldiers' fuel

Runners need to balance their intake of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Without enough carbs, protein can't do its job, while excessive protein gets stored as fat. It's also important to get the calorific intake right. Runners who jog 30-60 minutes a day have different needs from those preparing for a marathon.

Runners should eat complex - aka non-white - carbs. This can be a challenge in China, where most carb sources, such as rice, noodles and mantou (steamed buns), are white.

But exceptions exist.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of not only carbs but also vitamins and minerals. Purple potatoes are high in stress-alleviating antioxidants, which should be a part of every runner's diet. And roasted chestnuts make for a terrific autumn street food because they're high in carbs but low in fat and salt.