Nutrition tips for racing Hyrox

Hyrox is a demanding fitness competition, blending endurance and strength across a series of workouts. In these events, nutrition can significantly impact your performance, efficiency and perceived exertion. The main considerations for nutrition in an event like Hyrox is the level of intensity and the overall length of the event. 

Here are 4 nutrition tips to prep for a Hyrox event.

1.      Prioritise carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for high intensity endurance sports.

In the days leading into the event, it is worth having an intake plan focusing on carbohydrate rich foods. The strategy for this is to increase the portion size of the carbohydrate rich foods you currently have in each meal. This includes foods like:

• Whole grains (oats, brown rice)

• Starchy vegetables (sweet potato)

• Fruits (bananas, berries)

For a Hyrox event lasting between 50minutes and 1:30minutes, it is best to maximise glycogen stores within the muscles roughly 1-2 days prior to the event. See Carb loading article for more information.

2.      Plan your pre race meal

With weekend races starting from 8am all the way through to 7:30pm, planning and logistics around food is very important if you want to perform well. In the 2 hours leading up to the race, you want a more substantial meal high in carbohydrate, moderate in protein, low in fat and low in fibre. This can include:

• Oats with banana and honey alongside a protein shake

• Honey soy chicken breast and white rice

Closer to the race start, 1hour to 30 minutes prior, you’re looking to get more simple carbohydrates in to top up muscle glycogen. This is usually in the form of a gel, banana or carbohydrate rich electrolyte drink.

 3.      Stay hydrated in the days leading in

Hydration levels are easy enough to keep in check once you know what to look out for. The WUT method is a hydration assessment tool easy enough to monitor without the need for too much equipment. WUT are the 3 simple markers for understanding your hydration: Weight, Urine colour and Thirst.

There is no set litres you need to hit to ensure you are hydrated. Everyone is different and a 45kg female athlete will need a different hydration strategy to a 110kg male. 

In the days prior to competition, urine colour is one of the easiest to monitor, especially if you are flying or on the road. The aim of urine colour when going to the bathroom is a “light straw colour”. Not a dark yellow (dehydrated) or completely clear (overhydrated).

4.      Nutrition during the event

The one downside of carbohydrates as a high intensity fuel source is they don’t last forever. The threshold of carbohydrate depletion is usually 60-90minutes into exercise. The more intense the exercise, the quicker this will arrive. For that reason it is worth considering a nutrition option during the event. You are most likely to benefit from a gel or a carbohydrate rich sports drink. For a 60 minute race, consuming this just before the rower is a good guide.

Other considerations for Hyrox nutrition intake:

• Experiment earlier in the process- try to avoid new nutrition strategies on race day. Test it in the final weeks leading in.

• Listen to your body- sometimes plan A doesn’t always work. Keep in mind what the back up option may be if plan A starts to fade, including not being able to take nutrition on throughout the race or a carb load strategy that is too high.

• Supplementation for performance- this is the icing on the cake once you have all other elements locked in. Considerations for higher end athletes include caffeine, nitrates and sodium bicarbonate.