Fitness
Fitness Training
How to fuel for HYROX: Tips from expert nutritionists
What should you eat before HYROX? How much do you need, and when should you fuel? HYROX athletes and professional sports nutritionists share their advice on fuelling for training and race day.
From Alexander Rončević and Lucy Proctor to Joanna Wietrzyk, every HYROX athlete knows that how you fuel your workouts is just as important as how much sweat and tears you leave behind on race day.
Get your nutrition right, and not only are you ensuring your body has everything it needs to perform at its best, but you’re also reassuring your mind that you can get through it, even when every part of you wants to quit.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that HYROX is primarily a strength event, and that eating clean means eating enough," says Natalie Exeter, a Nutrition Specialist at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Austria. “Unfortunately, this means athletes can be under-fuelled, which will negatively impact both performance and recovery.”
One of the biggest misconceptions is that HYROX is primarily a strength event, and that eating clean means eating enough
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Fuelling for the effort, not individual HYROX stations
While some fitness races concentrate on strength and others endurance, HYROX is a combination of the two. Understanding that you need to fuel the body to cope with running and functional workout stations is the cornerstone of a good nutritional plan.
Nutrition is as important as training for athletes like Alexander Rončević
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
As Exeter puts it: “It’s a high-intensity endurance event with repeated bouts of strength work layered on top. Your ability to perform the sled push, burpee broad jumps or wall balls is heavily influenced by how much energy you have available.”
In other words, energy is everything. “Your body runs on energy whether you're running, lifting or pushing a sled,” adds Dan Sargeant, a performance chef and nutritionist who has worked with footballers Harry Kane and Jack Grealish, as well as boxer Conor Benn. “What makes HYROX different is the constant switch between endurance, strength, and power, often with very little recovery in between."
“Calories matter, but HYROX fuelling goes far beyond calories in versus calories out,” adds Exeter. The demands of HYROX are unique because athletes are constantly switching between running and muscular endurance work. That combination relies heavily on muscle glycogen, which is essentially stored carbohydrates.
Topping this up doesn’t start the morning of your race. According to Exeter, you need to begin fuelling up to 24-48 before. “Athletes should focus on adequate daily carbohydrate intake to maintain glycogen stores, as well as consistent protein intake to support muscle repair and adaptation,” she says.
What this looks like varies from person to person, so it’s vital you experiment in training so you’re not left deflated on the day.
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Do female athletes need to fuel differently for HYROX?
Female athletes can be at a greater risk of under-fuelling
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
While the principles of a HYROX race remain the same whatever your gender, Exeter explains that “female athletes are at greater risk of under-fuelling, particularly if they're also pursuing body composition goals". She adds that chronic low energy availability can not only impact recovery, adaptation, and performance, but it can also have a negative effect on menstrual function.
“Women may need to pay closer attention to factors such as iron status, menstrual cycle-related changes in appetite, and carbohydrate needs, all of which can influence training quality, recovery and long-term performance,” adds Sargeant.
Regardless of your gender or ability level, Sargeant says that the biggest nutritional shift you can make is to “start thinking and eating like an athlete".
This means enough protein to support recovery and adjusting your carbohydrate intake to match your training. This includes high-quality fats, staying on top of hydration and giving recovery just as much attention as the training itself.
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What should I eat while training for a HYROX race?
Training is where you refine your nutrition, perfect your hydration strategy and discover the foods that work best for your body. Race day isn't the time to experiment; it's the time to trust the work you've already put in.
Hidde Weersma is a former triathlete and still works as a strength coach
© HYROX
The most important thing is that your carb intake has been good in the days leading up to it. HYROX is very high intensity and you will burn a lot of carbs
For sessions lasting more than 60-90 minutes, Exeter recommends consuming 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour from sports drinks, gels or chews that can help maintain energy, delay fatigue and improve training quality. “During shorter strength-focused sessions, water is usually sufficient, but carbohydrate and electrolyte drinks can still be beneficial during longer hybrid workouts,” she says.
“For me, nutrition starts around 48 hours before the race,” says Hidde Weersma, the first man to complete the HYROX course in under 53 minutes. “The most important thing is that your carb intake has been good in the days leading up to it. HYROX is very high intensity and you will burn a lot of carbs.”
Get this right and you can feel confident and properly prepared without worrying if your body is going to run out of fuel mid-set.
What should I eat for breakfast before a HYROX race?
As a general rule, Exeter says that a good pre-race breakfast should consist of high carbs, moderate protein and low fat. “Three to four hours before the race, athletes should aim for approximately one to four grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight, depending on how much time they have before the start,” she says.
Lucy Procter in action in Stockholm
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
Elite 15 legend Lucy Procter prefers a breakfast of porridge, bagels and jam. “For breakfast, I try to get just 400 grams of carbs, all things that are really easy and quick to digest,” she says. “Protein is not something I’m focused on, and I like to keep the fats low. I don’t tend to carb-load. A lot of people do, but personally I haven’t found it to be a huge benefit.”
Hidde’s preferences is slightly different. “The most important meal for me is around three hours before I start my warm-up. That's white rice with ketchup, nothing else. And that's perfect because it's carbohydrates, sugar and salt. That's everything you want. An hour before the race, I’ll have a snack of a bagel with honey, or a banana with honey.”
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Reducing fibre before a HYROX race
Forty-eight hours before a race, Hidde will try to limit his fat and fibre intake (without cutting them out entirely). “Water is bound to fibre, so if you decrease the amount you eat before a race, then you will be a little bit lighter,” says Hidde. “That’s nice because then you don't have to carry that weight during the run.”
Sargeant agrees, in principle. “Reducing fibre during the final 24 to 48 hours before a race works to reduce gut load and lower the chance of stomach discomfort while you're running,” he says.
What you eat ahead of a HYROX can affect your performance
© Lauri Vuorinen/Red Bull Content Pool
It’s all about carrying less digestive bulk, which is something combat sport athletes regularly do. You’re not trying to slim down, but to make yourself more comfortable while giving it your all.
“That said, I certainly wouldn't remove fibre altogether. It's still an important part of a healthy diet, so it's about making small adjustments rather than dramatic changes,” adds Sargeant.
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Eating for recovery after HYROX
Keeping energy levels high is extremely important
© Mihai Stetcu/Red Bull Content Pool
HYROX places a huge demand on glycogen stores, so replenishing carbohydrates soon after racing is key to recovery, restoring energy levels and supporting future performance. “Protein still plays an important role in muscle repair, but recovery is strongest when both are consumed together,” adds Exeter.
“Your priorities are simple,” says Sargeant. “Replenish your glycogen stores, provide your muscles with high-quality protein to begin repairing, and replace the fluid and electrolytes you've lost through sweat.”
Exeter typically recommends 20-40g of high-quality protein and a substantial carbohydrate source, as well as fluid and electrolytes. This could look like a recovery shake plus fruit; chicken, rice and vegetables; salmon with potatoes; or Greek yoghurt, granola and berries.
Again, what you eat is up to you, and what works best for you. You also need to enjoy it. Post-race, food is there for recovery. But it’s also a ‘well done’ on giving it your all. Pick something you enjoy.
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What should nutrition for a typical HYROX training day look like?
At the basic level, Exeter says that an average day of HYROX training should be built around the principle of "fuel for the work required".
Energy is everything when competing in HYROX
© Stefan Voitl/Red Bull Content Pool
This means matching your energy and carbohydrate intake to the demands of the day, with more fuel available before and after harder running, HYROX-specific or longer sessions, and slightly less required on lighter recovery days.
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to what you should eat on a training day, but the below should work as a guide when tweaked to your own needs and likes.
Breakfast
Bircher muesli made with oats, Greek yoghurt, berries, seeds and a drizzle of honey.
Lunch
Moroccan-style chicken or tofu served with herbed couscous and a colourful mixed salad.
Dinner
Thai style chicken or tofu curry made with light coconut milk, plenty of vegetables and jasmine rice.
And remember, performance nutrition doesn't have to be bland. As all the experts agree, food should still be something you genuinely enjoy because when meals are full of flavour, consistency becomes much easier.
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