Read: Book & E-mail Lessons

Have you lost sleep wondering if animal protein is the optimal protein source for building muscle? Brendan Brazier’s new book and website is brimming with nutrition information that will give you a full night’s rest. A professional Ironman triathlete, formulator of Vega, author of Thrive Diet (2007) and Thrive Fitness (2009), Brazier recently launched Thrivein30.com. This site offers 12 FREE e-mail lessons to grow your knowledge about plant-based nutrition, alternative fitness training concepts and healthy living inspiration. Whether you’re a vegan, vegetarian, fruitarian or omnivore, Brazier’s books and website are this week’s must-reads to improve your performance and help a younger body emerge this spring.

Related articles:
Alkaline Foods: How They Can Improve Your Fitness
Milo Ventimiglia's Vegetarian Diet Puts on Man Weight

Watch: Biking Master Class

Self magazine's video biking master class tips

Want to bike better, get fit faster and enjoy the ride? Get in gear for National Bike Month. Join Self magazine's master class and get biking tips from a woman who knows--triathlete Katya Meyers. In it, Meyers covers the basics from bike fit and pedal strokes to strategies to show the hills who's boss.

Inflate: Your Results

Better breathing tips to get run, cycle, swim, and downward dog with ease

Yoga is a breathing exercise, my yoga teacher, Scott Davis, instructs me. “Sukha,” he’ll say in class, referring to a Sanskrit word meaning a smile or feeling of inner sweetness and pleasure that arises within someone who is at peace with themself. He’s prompted to encourage the class to smile when he notices that we hold our breath during challenging sequences. By maintaining a smile on my face as I move through postures, Davis says that my breath flows naturally and will lead my mind and body to work in harmony. I recall his words on strenuous runs when my heart and lungs are competing for my attention. Then my breathing is restored to a comfortable rhythm. These breathing tips from Women's Health magazine will help your strength training, yoga, cycling and running.

Run: Faster

Nike video training to improve running speed

Sonja Moses, Nike Master Trainer, developed a series of special exercises designed to help you improve your running quickness. Meet Sonja and watch a speed-training-for-runners video to learn proper technique you’ll need to maximize your training and improve speed results; then download a copy of the training program.

Shop: Gap Athleta

Shop Gap's new store, Athleta, for women's yoga and fitness clothing

You can now shop athleta.gap.com along with Gap's other brands. Gap introduced Athleta to fitness apparel consumers on April 17th. Browse the online store for stylish and functional high-quality apparel for women for a variety of activities, including yoga, gym, swimming, running, walking, hiking, golf, tennis and cycling.

News Sprints:

Octopusgardenyoga's new class schedule.

Hydroxycut warning (The Globe and Mail).