Ho-yin asks: I'm a long-distance runner. I eat a lot at every meal but I still only weigh 50kg. What should I do to gain more weight?
Wynnie says: Running burns a lot of calories, depending on whether you run on flat ground or uphill, the speed and your weight. A person weighing 50kg would burn 445 calories if they jogged at 8 km/hour and 590 calories if they ran at 12 km/hour. If you run for half an hour a day, you would need at least 2,500 calories; endurance runners would need more.
Even though you eat well at every meal, it's still important to fuel on the run and re-fuel afterwards. So if you run for more than an hour each time, having some carbs in the form of a sports drink will give you a ready supply of glucose for immediate fuel.
Replacing glycogen stores after a run is vital if you're aiming to run well the next day.
A ratio of 3:1 carbs to protein works best so choose anything from the following list
a glass of milk with a couple of pieces of fruit