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  Fuelling & Hydration
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  During the marathon day
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  DIET
       
  Fats
A small amount of fat is essential in the diet, though dietary fat deficiency is extremely rare, especially in the west. Fat is an important source of fuel for exercise, but even lean people have sufficient stores to last them several days without topping up. Gram for gram fat contains more energy than other dietary components but it is not the preferred source of energy for exercising muscle. The exercising body will preferentially burn carbohydrates, and any excess energy consumed from a high fat meal will be stored as body fat. A high fat meal will not restore carbohydrate stores and if consumed regularly runs the risk of weight gain.

Foods obviously rich in fats include butter, margarines, any type of oil (don't be fooled by the "light" oils!), fats on meat and skin on poultry. However, there is also a lot of fat in food that you can't see. Dairy products, fatty meats (sausages, many processed meats), fried foods, pastries (pies, sausage rolls, croissants), muffins and cakes, chocolate, chips, crisps and many other processed foods. Foods high in fat but low in other nutrients should be used as treats or occasional food rather than for daily consumption. To achieve our nutrient needs we require only around 1 tablespoon of fats each day. Fat also slows the absorption of carbohydrate, so it is should be minimised during exercise when maximum carbohydrate absorption is required.
  DIET



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