Hornet juice is the bee's knees!

Their optimism appears to be full of Far Eastern promise as they are following in the footsteps of athletes in Japan, where the drink originated.

Marathon, long distance and mountain runners and other endurance athletes there are quaffing a comparatively new sports drink called VAAM (Vespa Amino Acid Mixture).

It contains a liquid secreted by hornet larvae and is described as "100 per cent natural".

Scientists at the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, near Tokyo, found that the juice helped the larger, three-inch long hornets to fly the equivalent of two marathons at a stretch – in search of food.

Their own bug juice gives the insects their great endurance and speed. In runners, it reduces muscle fatigue and improves the body's efficiency, according to the boffins.

Lochaber athlete Niall MacBeath has been trying the juice in recent months in his training programme for the Lochaber Marathon which takes place on April 27.

He said: "Hornet juice helps change the metabolism so that the body converts body fat into a supply of energy during exercise and ensures that glycogen, the other source of energy in your body, is used more sparingly.

"I've been trying it during my long runs preparing for the marathon and I am feeling its benefits, although it is early days. We'll just have to wait and see whether it helps me on the 27th.