➕ How effective is online therapy? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌
The Conversation

Imagine riding the entire Tour de France route as an amateur, with half the training and none of the support. Sounds brutal, right? That’s exactly what exercise physiologist Steve Faulkner did in 2021. Each year, the Tour pushes elite riders to their physical limits. But that summer, a group of amateurs, including Faulkner, a blood cancer survivor, tackled the same gruelling 3,500km course to raise over £1 million for Cure Leukaemia.

Despite juggling full-time jobs and limited preparation, they faced pro-level demands: punishing climbs, long days in the saddle and relentless, cumulative fatigue. A study based on their ride, published to coincide with this year’s Grand Départ in Lille on Saturday last week, found that Steve and his team experienced greater relative stress than the pros. Their story is a powerful reminder of what purpose can drive us to achieve, and why training, recovery and nutrition are essential in ultra-endurance sport.

Meanwhile, one year after Keir Starmer’s landslide victory on a promise of respect, new polling gives an insight into why trust in the prime minister has eroded sharply, with voters increasingly unsure whether his government still stands for people like them.

And want to stay sharp as you age (who doesn’t)? New research suggests that staying positive might help protect against memory loss later in life.

Katie Edwards

Commissioning Editor, Health + Medicine

Riders of the 2021 Tour 21 celebrating completing the Tour de France and having successfully raised more than £1,000,000 for Cure Leukemia. Joolze Dymond/Cure Leukemia

I rode the Tour de France to study its impact on the human body – here’s what I learned

Steve Faulkner, Nottingham Trent University

What happens when amateurs take on the Tour de France route? Fatigue, triumph and lessons in endurance.

Simon Dawson/Number 10/Flickr

Nearly two-thirds of voters think Starmer doesn’t respect them – new poll

Marc Stears, UCL

63% of respondents said Keir Starmer does not respect people like them.

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A/Shutterstock

Staying positive might protect against memory loss

Christian van Nieuwerburgh, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

How to boost your mood and help your memory stay sharp.

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