London: The secret of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's boundless energy lies in an alternative therapist who massages his back and sends him positive energy waves, according to a new book on the man known as the hyper-president.

Sarkozy, who will be 54 later this month, has been treated by therapist Jean-Paul Moureau - known by his patients as Moureau the guru - for 15 years with his special technique of manual therapy , says the book by journalist Patrice Machuret. Quoting from the book, the Sunday Times said Sarkozy's tirelessness - they call him the Duracell Bunny - has long been a subject of speculation and that in French political circles he is regularly accused of being on something, with theories ranging from amphetamines to cocaine. I

n reality, he is addicted only to chocolate, says the book, published last week. Moureau is described as a practitioner of etiopathy - a system that pinpoints the real cause of an illness and treats it with manual therapy. When French Prime Minister Franois Fillon was stricken by sciatica last year, Sarkozy referred him to Moureau, who got him back on his feet. Moureau, who charges 100 pounds a session, is said to have a stable of celebrity clientele, including French Hollywood veterans Alain Delon and Jean-Paul Belmondo. However, Sarkozy is also passionate about jogging and has hired a personal trainer, on the advice of his pop singer-model wife Carla Bruni, to help to tone up his muscles, the paper said.

Source : IANS