Free Hyrox nutrition plan
What to eat before your Hyrox
Four questions, then a plan timed to your wave, from race week to recovery.
What to eat before Hyrox
Hyrox is 8 runs of 1 km, each followed by a station: SkiErg, Sled Push, Sled Pull, Burpee Broad Jumps, Rowing, Farmers Carry, Sandbag Lunges, then Wall Balls. It's long enough that what you eat in the 2 days before shows up in the back half.
The meal that does the most work is the one about 3 hours before your wave. Aim for roughly 2 g of carbs per kg of body weight, low in fibre and fat. The published range is 1 to 4 g per kg, eaten 1 to 4 hours before (Thomas et al., 2016). Got an early wave? Eat a bit less, about 2 hours out.
Do you need to carb load for Hyrox?
It depends on how long you'll be out there. Full carb loading (10 to 12 g per kg a day for 36 to 48 hours) is for events over 90 minutes. Under that, a high-carb day before (7 to 12 g per kg) does the job (Burke et al., 2011).
Hyrox finish times sit either side of that 90-minute line, so the planner scales with your goal:
- Under 75 min: a high-carb day before, about 7 g per kg.
- 75 to 105 min: 8 g per kg the day before.
- Over 105 min: 2 days at 8 to 10 g per kg.
We use the lower end of the loading range because it's what people can actually eat and still feel light on the start line. Keep it white and plain for the last 24 to 48 hours: white rice, pasta, bagels, peeled potatoes. Less fibre means a quieter gut at station 6.
Caffeine before Hyrox
The International Society of Sports Nutrition puts the effective dose at 3 to 6 mg per kg, taken about 60 minutes before. Around 2 mg per kg still helps some people, and side effects climb as the dose goes up (Guest et al., 2021).
The planner gives you 3 mg per kg with a lower option. A cup of coffee is around 100 mg (NHS), and a pre-workout prints its caffeine on the label. Race on a dose you've already used in training.
How long does a gel take to work?
After a single dose of fast carbs, blood sugar usually peaks 20 to 40 minutes later (Jeukendrup). A gel 10 minutes before your wave is landing as you come off the sleds.
Some people get a short sugar dip when they take carbs 30 to 60 minutes before exercise. Taking them in the last few minutes, or during the warm-up, lowers that risk. That's why your final 20 to 30 g goes in about 10 minutes before the start.
Fuelling during Hyrox by finish time
For efforts of 1 to 2.5 hours, the guidelines say 30 to 60 g of carbs an hour (Burke et al., 2011). For efforts of around an hour, swilling a sports drink round your mouth has been shown to help on its own (Jeukendrup, 2014).
| Finish time | On course | When |
|---|---|---|
| Under 75 min | Optional: 1 gel or a sports drink swill | Run 5, after Burpee Broad Jumps |
| 75 to 105 min | About 50 g (2 gels) | Runs 3 and 6 |
| 105 to 150 min | About 75 g (3 gels) | Runs 3, 5 and 7 |
| 150 min plus | About 120 g (4 gels) | Runs 2, 4, 6 and 7 |
Practise it. Take a gel mid-session a few times before race day, because the gut gets better at handling carbs during exercise with training (Jeukendrup, 2017).
What to eat after Hyrox
Within an hour or so, have 20 to 40 g of protein (about 0.3 g per kg) and about 1 g of carbs per kg (Thomas et al., 2016). Racing again the next day? Push carbs to 1 to 1.2 g per kg an hour for the first 4 hours (Burke et al., 2011).
Hyrox nutrition FAQ
What should I eat on the morning of a Hyrox race?
A carb-heavy breakfast about 3 hours before your wave, around 2 g of carbs per kg of body weight, low in fibre and fat. Porridge with banana and honey, white toast with jam and a glass of juice comes to about 140 g. Then 20 to 30 g of fast carbs in the final 10 minutes.
Should I carb load for Hyrox?
If you'll take longer than about 105 minutes, yes: 2 days at 8 to 10 g of carbs per kg. Between 75 and 105 minutes, one day at around 8 g per kg is enough. Faster than 75 minutes, a high-carb day before covers it.
Do I need a gel during Hyrox?
Under 75 minutes it's optional. Between 75 and 105 minutes, plan for about 2 gels. Over 105 minutes, aim for 30 to 60 g of carbs an hour, which is 3 or 4 gels spread across the runs.
How much caffeine should I take before Hyrox?
Around 3 mg per kg of body weight, about 60 minutes before your wave, if you already use caffeine in training. That's about 225 mg for a 75 kg athlete. 2 mg per kg works for many people with fewer side effects.
What should I eat the day before Hyrox?
Plenty of plain, white carbs: rice, pasta, bagels, peeled potatoes and juice. Cut back on fibre, beans and fatty food, eat a familiar carb-heavy dinner by about 7:30pm, and skip the alcohol.
Is fuelling different for Hyrox Doubles?
Race morning is the same. On course, take your carbs while your partner works a station, when your breathing has a chance to settle.
Sources
- Burke LM, Hawley JA, Wong SH, Jeukendrup AE (2011). Carbohydrates for training and competition. Journal of Sports Sciences.
- Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM (2016). Nutrition and athletic performance. Joint position statement of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada and the American College of Sports Medicine.
- Guest NS et al. (2021). ISSN position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
- Sawka MN et al. (2007). ACSM position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.
- Jeukendrup AE. The myths surrounding pre-exercise carbohydrate feeding. Nestlé Nutrition Institute.
- Jeukendrup AE (2014). A step towards personalized sports nutrition: carbohydrate intake during exercise. Sports Medicine.
- Jeukendrup AE (2017). Training the gut for athletes. Sports Medicine.
- NHS. Caffeine content of common drinks.
General guidance for healthy adults. If you have diabetes, a gut condition or a medical diet, talk to a registered dietitian before changing how you eat. Built by Interval, a UK sports nutrition brand for Hyrox athletes.