When you're close to the finish line in a race (or even just a workout), your body draws on carbohydrates, protein, and fat to bring it all home. So why continue to down those all-carbohydrate sports drinks? In a recent study, cyclists who drank a pre-race beverage consisting of four parts carbohydrates and one part protein cycled 66 percent farther than when they chugged an all-carbohydrate drink. And when researchers added a little extra fat to runners' diets, they lasted 23 percent longer on endurance runs than they did on a low-fat diet. Try one of these energy shakes before your next workout to make sure you're fully powered up.

Endurance Shake
Blend together:

• 1 banana, sliced
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 8 ounces low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 4 ounces crushed pineapple
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Morning Energy
Blend together:

• 1 cup fat-free vanilla soy milk
• 1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt
• 1 banana, sliced
• 1/4 cup frozen loose-pack blueberries
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon wheat germ
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

To kick the taste up a notch, try chocolate soy milk.

Strawberry Protein Shake
Blend together:

• 16 large frozen unsweetened strawberries (12 ounces), quartered
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 2 cups cold orange juice or 1 1/2 cups orange juice plus 1/2 cup seltzer
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unflavored protein powder

For an alternative, substitute pear, peach, or mango nectar for the orange juice. Or replace the strawberries with blueberries.

Coconut Shake
Blend together:

• 1 11-ounce container coconut water
• 1 cup cherry juice
• 1 scoop unflavored or vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 banana, sliced

Here's to a great finish!