endurance event," says Horne. "Besides just feeling more rested and ready to tackle the day ahead, adequate sleep – at least seven hours, uninterrupted – can make a big difference in your recovery."Sleep is divided into five stages – the first four
, applied physiologist at Bath University's Human Performance Centre. "Understanding the physiological processes that occur during the different stages of a marathon gives runners a better grip of the underpinnings of strategy and training and can take
-to-day level before it gets to that stage," says Shah. "Running is ideal because it's so accessible and achievable – and the mountain of scientific evidence pointing towards its stress-busting properties is growing by the day." Runner's high - fact or fiction
