Should you cycle with a cold and how can cyclists avoid illness?

We all loathe the common cold — are there any effective ways to prevent and treat it? Vicky Ware finds out

There are plenty of theories surrounding how to prevent and treat the common cold but which, if any, are true?

According to Mike Gleeson, professor of exercise biochemistry at Loughborough University, athletes are not necessarily at greater risk of catching colds — “apart from when the athlete participates in a very prolonged, fatiguing endurance session or competitive event, when the immune system becomes temporarily depressed and this can increase infection risk.”

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Alex Ballinger