HYROX race day nutrition

The day before

Full carbohydrate loading, the kind marathon runners do, is generally reserved for events lasting 90 minutes or more of continuous effort. For HYROX, a simpler approach works well: eat your normal meals, but make carbohydrate a bigger part of each one. Think an extra portion of rice with lunch, pasta or potatoes at dinner and a couple of carbohydrate-based snacks.

• Eat foods you know agree with you. The day before is not the day for a new takeaway.
• Keep fibre moderate in the evening meal if you are prone to stomach problems when running.
• Drink normally through the day. Pale straw-coloured urine is a reasonable guide.
• Go easy on alcohol, which affects sleep and hydration.

The guide to carbohydrates for performance explains why carbohydrate matters so much for high-intensity work like the sleds and wall balls.

Race morning breakfast

Eat two to four hours before your wave. That gives your stomach time to settle while topping up your energy after the overnight fast. Sports nutrition guidelines commonly suggest around 1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight in the hours before a hard event, with larger amounts further out. For most people, a normal breakfast with a bit extra hits the lower end of that comfortably.

Good options include:

• Porridge made with milk, topped with a banana and honey.
• Toast or a bagel with jam or honey, plus a yoghurt.
• Rice or cereal with milk and fruit.
• Overnight oats if you prefer something cold.

Keep fat and fibre moderate, and do not overdo protein at this meal. If you are racing in the afternoon, eat a normal breakfast and then a lighter carbohydrate-based meal around three hours before your wave, with a small snack such as a banana closer to the start if you feel hungry.

Caffeine

Caffeine is one of the few supplements with strong, consistent evidence for improving endurance performance. Research commonly uses doses of around 3 to 6 mg per kg of body weight taken about 30 to 60 minutes before exercise, and many people find the lower end of that range works with fewer side effects.

Side effects are real: jitteriness, a racing heart, stomach upset and a need for the toilet at the worst possible moment. If you do not normally use caffeine, race day is not the time to start. If you do, use the exact dose and timing you have tested in training. The guide to caffeine and training covers the details, including how it affects sleep if you have a late wave.

During the race

For most people finishing in under about 90 minutes, water is all you need during the race. A couple of planned sips at water points, for example after the sleds and after the row, is plenty. Drinking a lot sloshes around and can cause stitches on the run.

If you expect to be out for well over 90 minutes, a small amount of carbohydrate partway through, such as a gel or a few mouthfuls of sports drink around the halfway mark, may help the second half. Only use something you have tested in training, and check what is available at the venue.

Start the race well hydrated rather than trying to catch up during it. If you sweat heavily or the venue is warm, an electrolyte drink in the hours before can help. The guide to hydration for training explains how to judge what you need.

Waiting around between check-in and your wave

Big events often involve waiting, and waiting makes people nervous-eat or forget to eat entirely. Plan it. Keep a bottle of water and one or two small, familiar snacks in your bag, such as a banana, a cereal bar or a few jelly sweets. If there are more than two hours between your last meal and your start, a small snack around an hour before is a good idea.

Avoid anything heavy, greasy or new from venue food stands until after you finish.

After the race

Once you cross the line, the priorities are fluids, carbohydrate to start refilling your stores and protein to support muscle repair. A drink and a snack in the first hour, followed by a proper meal within a few hours, covers it. Around 20 to 40 g of protein in that meal is a sensible target for most people, alongside a good portion of carbohydrate.

Keep eating normally over the following days, with protein spread across your meals. If you want help planning nutrition around your training, Lycan Strength offers nutrition and accountability coaching as well as HYROX training. The final hours before the race are covered in the HYROX race day checklist.