What causes runner’s high – and how can you boost your chances of an ecstatic 5k?
A few lucky runners can look forward to ‘an orchestra of neurochemical changes’ when they lace up their trainers. Why do the rest of us just get sweaty? And do…
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Health & wellbeing
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The incredible science of the sleeping brain – podcast
Humans have been wondering why we sleep for thousands of years. Is sleep’s purpose rest and relaxation, memory consolidation or maybe cognitive processing? In the last 15 years, scientists have…
Childbirth
Midwives want to make childbirth miraculous – so what went so wrong in Nottingham? | Zoe Williams
The acronym ‘FOH’ for ‘Fuck off home’ was used beside the names of expectant mothers. Senior midwives advised others not to be ‘too kind’. But as this and other shocking…
Is it true that … you should sync your workout routine to your menstrual cycle?
There is no evidence that ovulation affects muscle-building, but you may feel stronger at certain timesIt’s an idea that’s been enthusiastically embraced on social media: women should sync their training…
Mental health
Stigma around burnout must be challenged | Letters
Readers respond to the Green MP Carla Denyer’s decision to take time out from her workGaby Hinsliff’s excellent article about the Green MP Carla Denyer (The curse of burnout Britain…
Hygiene
Have you looked inside your water bottle? I was shocked and disgusted by what I found in mine | Arwa Mahdawi
I stared into the abyss, and the abyss stared back – mouldily. This is what happens when you forget basic hygieneIn my 20s, I cohabited with a man who thought…
Bereavement
I lost my beloved husband after 35 years, then my sister and my father. Here’s how I rebuilt my old happy self
I tried everything from gong baths to junk food and intermittent crying as I attempted to deal with my grief. Nothing helped – until I started tuning in to what…
Health & wellbeing
A job that changed me: As an anxious first-time surgical assistant, the casual workplace dynamics surprised me
I was primed to sweat my way through a high-stakes procedure. But once the patient was sedated, a welcome warmth entered the roomRead more in this series hereI’ve had quite…
Drugs
Is it true that … we should all be taking creatine?
The supplement is a proven sports performance enhancer, but research is ongoing and for most people it’s an optional extra, not an essentialOnce the preserve of bodybuilders and sprinters, creatine…
Friendship
I’m worried my colleague is lying about having cancer | Ask Annalisa Barbieri
The real question isn’t whether you are being lied to, but why ‘tall tales’ land so heavily with youWhen I was 21, I went on a girls’ trip with university…
Health & wellbeing
My body is fat, not wrong: how body neutrality – not positivity – helped me shed a lifetime of shame | Jasper Peach
If I’d been taught this way of thinking as a child, I can’t begin to imagine how much easier things could have beenIn 1981 the CD was born and so…
Sleep
The best mattresses in 2026: sleep better with our 14 rigorously tested picks
From luxury Simba and Otty mattresses to brilliant budget buys, here’s what we recommend – and how to know if you’ve found a good deal• The best mattresses for back…