HYROX Nutrition 101: Fueling for Peak Performance with Tips From a Sports Dietitian

HYROX competitions aren’t just a regular race (they're a cool race…)
Nah in all honesty they’re a true test of one’s endurance, strength, and mental grit. 

Whether you’re prepping for your first HYROX event at your local gym, or looking to improve your times from last time and aiming for that sweet podium finish, one area you can’t afford to overlook is your nutrition game. It can make or break your performance in the end. 

As a Sports Dietitian who has worked with clients in HYROX and with a long standing hand in fuelling CrossFit athletes (the most similar sport), I’ve seen first hand how the right fuelling strategies and plan can take you from the start line to the finish line in peak fashion.

In this blog, I deep dive into the key nutritional considerations to help you dominate your next HYROX event and set you up for success on comp day. 
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Let’s learn about HYROX nutrition fundamentals!

What is HYROX?

HYROX is a fitness race that combines elements of functional strength exercises with the art of running, making it a uniquely blended test of both an athlete’s endurance and power. 
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Participants tackle eight functional workout ‘stations’, each separated by 1 km runs, meaning it’s not just about how fast or strong you can be, but most importantly how well you can maintain both elements of fitness and functionality throughout the entire event.

So run, station, run…station…rinse and repeat. For a total of 8 runs and 8 functional training workouts. Sounds like a couple of days of walking funny loading. The functional training disciplines are as follows (in case you are interested): 

• SkiErg
• Sled Push
• Sled Pull
• Burpee Broad Jumps
• Rowing
• Farmers Carry
• Sandbag Lunges
• Wall Balls

To get an in-depth breakdown of what HYROX encompasses and about the event, click here to check out the HYROX official page for more info.
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Completing an average HYROX event typically takes athletes between 60 to 90 minutes, depending on their fitness level, desire (not all races need to be raced), and experience. 

Curious about the elite status? The current world record holders are within the range of 53 mins to 58 minutes (with the men’s record trending towards to former and the women’s towards the latter). 

These sub-60 min numbers highlight the crazy speed and strength required to excel in HYROX at the peak level, so it’s not a surprise it has become an exciting new challenge for athletes of all levels - from professionals to weekend warriors.

Energy Systems in HYROX and Nutritional Implications

HYROX is a unique sport with unique considerations because it taps into multiple energy systems — both aerobic and anaerobic — everytime you compete while tapping into these physiological systems in an alternating fashion with no set finish time (you finish when you finish the circuit or give up). 
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For example, basketball and other team sports do similar but with less predictability. HYROX to a degree has a set system which means you need to prep correctly for jumping back and forth from the world of aerobics and anaerobics.
 
This means your body needs to have the ability to grab quick energy for high-intensity efforts (anaerobic) and sustained energy for endurance (aerobic). Talk about testing your body and putting it through the wringer!

The combination of strength and cardio requires a well-balanced approach to macronutrients, including carbohydrates for immediate energy, protein for muscle repair and preservation, and fats for long-lasting fuel and cellular health. Understanding these energy demands and specific nutritional “spark plugs” can help guide your nutrition plan before, during, and after the race. 

We are talking both training in the lead up to the official event AND the actual race itself - with some nutrition implications mattering more in the actual race and others doing the required work in the lead up to ensure your body is ready but that you also got the most from your actual training pathway. 

Key Takeaways for Nutrition:

• Carbs: Essential for fueling both endurance runs and high-intensity strength exercises. The primary and direct fuel source - the petrol for your “vehicle”. 
• Protein: Helps with muscle repair after training and after the event. Also, ensures muscular retention to maintain functional strength and physical capability. 
• Fats: Provide sustained energy, especially during the aerobic focussed runs during HYROX. Also, ensures cellular and hormone health.

The Importance of Macronutrient Balance for HYROX Athletes

For HYROX athletes, achieving the right macronutrient balance is essential to fuel both the endurance and strength demands as well as equip the body with the right nutrition input to train for the event and be the best athlete you can be. Each macronutrient plays a unique role in optimizing your potential performance:

• Carbohydrates: This is your body’s main fuel source for both shorter duration, high-intensity efforts like functional exercises as well as providing energy for running. Carbs provide quick energy to keep you going during the total of 8km of running you can expect during HYROX and also top up glycogen stores to provide quick fuel during explosive movements as seen during the ‘functional workout stations’. Carbs will be the macro that will have a direct and crucial role in both the training phase and the actual event, as it is the macro which will be most important during an actual HYROX race. 
• Protein: Good ol popular protein. Essential for muscular repair and recovery and having a key role in the promotion of muscle synthesis, protein helps you rebuild stronger than before after tough training sessions. HYROX involves repetitive muscle use, so prioritizing protein intake supports endurance and strength output and reduces muscle breakdown. Your individual protein needs will vary and will depend on the athlete, your training, your goals, and other factors - it is always advised to consider seeing a Sports Dietitian for a customised prescription of macros. 
• Fats: A steady, sustained energy source, fats are especially important for longer events where glycogen stores may run low or where aerobic energy systems will tap into more of your bodies storage form of fat for steady energy (i.e. the running sections of your HYROX). Healthy fats are also important in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins and have a role in hormone production which can have links and implications for muscle growth, recovery, and healthier functioning. 
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As a Sports Dietitian, I work with HYROX athletes to ensure they’re getting the right balance of macros to fuel their specific training demands, helping them remain strong and energized throughout the event. This often requires bridging and filling gaps in their nutrition while ensuring their body gets what it needs to perform - keeping the engine running. 

Specific nutrition recommendations around protein, carbs, and fats require consideration of ones body composition, training demands (e.g. intensity and duration), and one’s clinical state. A Sports Dietitian can assist in developing a program for you that will set you up to deal with the HYROX beast and tame it better than you did before.

FREE NUTRITION CHEATSHEET!

Using this guide, you'll better understand macros & calories in foods so you can level up your nutrition for HYROX and beyond. 
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GRAB MY COPY!

Key Nutrition Pillars (Strategic Fundamentals Revealed)

When it comes to HYROX specific nutrition, the fundamentals around strategy are crucial. As a Sports Dietitian, I work with athletes to ensure they’re reinforcing the three key pillars: 

1. Pre-race fuelling: Loading up on carbs and staying well-hydrated in the days leading up to the race is crucial to go into the event with the right “stuff”. Carbohydrates will be the primary fuel for the engine and as such you need to ensure that you feed yourself the right types and amounts of carbs before the race AND ensure glycogen stores (bodily carb storage) are topped up by optimising your intake of carbs in at least the 24-72h before the event. On the day of your HYROX meet, your pre-comp meal and/or snack strategy also becomes a key pillar and needs to be tailored appropriately. The focus is carbs and hydration, when in doubt. 
2. Intra-race nutrition: Depending on the length of the event, your individual preferences, and other considerations, you might need quick-digesting carbs during the event, but it is not a given. Products like energy gels or sports drinks to keep energy levels up may be considered and provide a direct needed source of energy or help reduce perception of exertion. In an event like HYROX, intra-race nutrition is highly dependant on the duration it takes you personally to complete it - with many athletes not requiring more than a top-up of fluids and others requiring some carb and/or electrolyte input.
3. Post-race recovery: Prioritizing protein and carbs to replenish glycogen stores and aid muscle recovery and repair are the central pieces of a post-race HYROX recovery process. The post HYROX nutrition picture is alot less targetted and specific compared to the prep leading up the race but is nonetheless important and will be very important post-training to ensure you leverage the adaptations you need in your preparation for the actual HYROX event. Remember to not forget that protein and carbs are the cornerstones of the post race recvoery meal but fats and focusing on micronutrients through more colour on your plate, are often forgotten pieces of the puzzle.
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Pro Tip: Many athletes find themselves wanting to carbohydrate loading 24-48 hours before the event to ensure they have enough stored energy ready to go. This may or may not help but is not a standard practice for an event such as HYROX due to the shorter duration nature of the race. However, if you feel your glycogen stores are lacking then a carb load might be a safety guard you need for piece of mind. 

Optimising carbs further out and keeping your foot on the pedal carb wise to ensure you eat a bit more in the 5-7 days leading up can sometimes be enough. Simple tweaks to your usual nutrition routine can make a big difference!

See a Sports Dietitian for a customised HYROX strategy that considers all 3 pillars and sets you up to succeed on your own terms. Contact us today to explore our services and see how we can assist you on your HYROX journey. 

Power to Weight Ratio in HYROX

In HYROX, power-to-weight ratio plays bit of a role in performance. The ability to generate maximal strength relative to your body weight can give you an edge in events that require functional strength, such as sandbag lunges, sled push, or burpee broad jumps as well as in endurance focussed efforts where you need to carry your weight for distance and time (i.e. the running sections). 
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This is why it is worth considering optimising your body composition if HYROX is something you want to excel in as building and maintaining more functional muscular stores while keeping non-fucntional mass such as excessive bodyfat down. 

However, please note that this does not mean you need to be a shredded, lean machine to compete or to be awesome at HYROX - there is nuance with this topic. Maintaining lean muscle mass without excess weight that could slow you down is the point here. 

As a Sports Dietitian, I help athletes fine-tune their body composition, ensuring they’re building power without unnecessary bulk (namely from bodyfat), which is key for achieving an optimal power-to-weight ratio in HYROX training and events. 
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Crossfit athletes know the benefit of power to weight ratio due to the intense, repetitive nature of their sport….and HYROX is no different in this regard.

Supplement Considerations for HYROX Athletes

Supplements can be potentially beneficial for HYROX athletes, but they should never replace a solid, wholefoods-based diet with a food first mentality. Supplements are SUPPLEMENTARY - tis in the name. 
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There are a number of supplements what can assist a HYROX athlete but here are some popular ones and what you need to know:

• Caffeine: Caffeine is the core element of most pre-workouts and are an ergogenic aid - meaning they actively reduce perception of exertion but also increasing alertness and mental acuity.
• Electrolytes: Often used for hydration purposes and to prevent cramping during long events. Electrolyres will usually be made up of a core blend of sodium and potassium (with some including magnesium and chloride). 
• Creatine Monohydrate: Helps improve strength and power output during resistance training and shorter duration high intensity bouts of exertion (aka the functional training legs of a HYROX race). Read my blog here on all you need to know about Creatine. 
• BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids): This one is popular but is a waste of time and money. If you really feel you need to supplement protein (which BCAA’s are a small subset of), then just grab a complete protein powder such as whey protein. 

Please note that none of the above is advice on supplements nor is it me saying a HYROX athlete should or needs to take any of these. These are just some that can theoretically help a HYROX athlete based on their effect and efficacy. 

As a Sports Dietitian, I guide my clients in choosing supplements that suit their training regimen and dietary needs, ensuring they’re both effective and safe. So please consider getting a Dietitian and Nutritionist in your corner before playing around with your supplement “stack”.

Practice Makes Perfect (Or Better)

When it comes to HYROX nutrition, the key to success lies in personalization and practice. Every athlete is unique, and what fuels one person perfectly might not work for another. 

That's why it's essential to customize your nutrition strategy to match your specific needs, preferences, and how your body tolerates different foods. Testing your fuelling plan during training sessions is crucial, allowing you to understand how your body reacts to certain meals or supplements. 

This gives you the chance to refine your approach and avoid any unexpected surprises on race day. By investing time in both personalizing and practicing your nutrition strategy, you’ll head into the HYROX event feeling confident and fully fuelled for peak performance.

Recap/Conclusion

To perform at your best in HYROX, your nutrition has to be just as well-structured and well-designed as your training plan. One can not work without the other, both are key. 

By fueling properly, you can support your body through the demands of aerobic and anaerobic exertion, aid in recovery, and ultimately improve your race-day performance. 
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Whether you want to finish in the top times or you simply want to have fun with friends while challenging yourself, your food game will be the bottleneck or the flood gates - depending on how you go about it. 

Need Help Figuring Out This Nutrition Thing? If you’re ready to optimize your nutrition in preparation for HYROX and leverage personalised nutrition strategies, I’m here to help. 

As a Sports Dietitian with experience in HYROX and CrossFit, I can create a tailored plan that fuels your performance and recovery on the back of expert nutrition coaching. 

Contact me today to learn about and discuss your options, and let’s get you race-day ready! 

Perhaps it is time to really put your focus on reaching your peak potential. 

Simply email me at: [email protected] or go to my contac​t form to have a chat about this and see if we are a good fit to work together and get you your best results yet. 

Or to apply now to see if you are a good fit, simply CLICK HERE and start the process for reaching your peak potential in HYROX and beyond. 
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Sports Dietitian and Coach Aleksa

Brisbane Dietitian and Nutritionist