It’s important to understand how to fuel yourself correctly before a big race; it’s a huge contributing factor to your performance.
We often get questions from members about what they should eat before Hyrox or how to properly fuel themselves before big races.
Luckily, Coach Tom has provided us with a comprehensive nutritional masterclass. He begins by outlining general nutrition principles that can be applied beyond race week and then narrows in on how to optimize your nutrition for race week and race day.
We’ve included the webinar recording below and have also turned the transcript into an article for those of you who prefer reading!
The nutrition webinar covers:
- Building a healthy and constructive relationship with food
- Micros, macros, losing body fat, and building muscle
- Supplements and recovery practices
- Hydration
- Optimizing nutrition for training and competition
- Creating a Hyrox race week and race day protocol
Grab your pen and paper because this is packed with practical advice that will empower you to take control of your nutrition.
General Nutrition Principles
Before diving into race-specific strategies, let’s understand the core principles of everyday nutrition. These guidelines will form the basis of your energy intake and recovery, ensuring you’re in optimal condition before race day.
The general principles are meant as long term advice.
So don’t try and dive in and implement everything the week of your race. Take small steps and don’t introduce anything right before race day.
Understanding Maintenance Calories
Your maintenance calories are the amount of energy your body requires to maintain its current weight. This includes the calories needed for essential bodily functions, such as breathing, digestion, and normal activities like walking or exercise. To estimate your daily needs, you can use a BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) calculator.
To get an idea of your BMR use: https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html
Once you know your maintenance calories, you can adjust your intake depending on your goals:
- Calorie deficit if you aim to lose weight.
- Calorie surplus if you aim to gain muscle.
In general, around 70% of your daily calorie intake is used for BMR, 20% for physical activity, and 10% for digesting food.
Macronutrient Breakdown
Your diet should consist of a balance of the three key macronutrients: protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
- Proteins: Critical for muscle repair and recovery. Athletes engaged in intense hybrid training should aim for 1.6 to 2.4 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body mass. Protein supports muscle regeneration, which is vital for post-workout recovery.
- Fats: Essential for energy, hormone production, and immune function. Focus on healthy fats like those found in avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Fat should make up 25–35% of your total daily calorie intake. Or 0.8 – 1.2 grams of fat per kilogram of lean body mass.
- Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source, especially for high-intensity activities like Hyrox. Complex carbs, such as whole grains, sweet potatoes, and oats, provide long-lasting energy. Simple carbs, like fruit or sports gels, can provide a quick energy boost during races or intense workouts. Aim for 40% of your total daily calories to come from carbohydrates.
For top notch advice on which foods to use to hit the above check out trifecta on Instagram, they have some fantastic actionable cheat sheets for you to use.
Micronutrients
Though they don’t provide calories, micronutrients like vitamins and minerals play a crucial role in overall health and performance.
They help support energy production, immune function, and recovery.
Eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole foods ensures you’re getting the necessary vitamins and minerals for peak performance.
Good, Better, Best
When it comes to fueling your body for Hyrox and hybrid training, there are different levels of commitment and precision you can apply to your nutrition strategy.
The Good, Better, Best approach helps simplify this by providing three tiers of how you can manage your diet depending on your goals, time, and resources.
Whether you’re a beginner or looking for an advanced edge, this approach offers flexibility to meet your needs.
Good: Focus on Portions and Balanced Choices
The Good approach is ideal for those who want to keep it simple but still ensure they’re fueling their body with the right nutrients. It’s about making mindful food choices without getting bogged down by exact measurements or complicated plans.
- Hand-sized portions: Use your hand to gauge portion sizes for different macronutrients. A palm-sized portion of protein (chicken, fish), a fist-sized portion of carbs (rice, potatoes), and a thumb-sized portion of fats (avocado, olive oil) make for a balanced meal.
- Follow a basic shopping list: Stick to whole, minimally processed foods like lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and complex carbs.
- Eat intuitively: Listen to your hunger and fullness cues. This method doesn’t require calorie counting but focuses on making consistent, healthy choices.
Better: Personalised Meal Planning
The Better approach is for athletes looking to take more control over their nutrition and tailor their meals to their specific needs, particularly in terms of macronutrient distribution.
- Create a personalised meal plan: Use an online tool like EatThisMuch.com to build meal plans that align with your macronutrient goals (e.g., 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat).
- Meal prep and timing: Plan your meals around your training schedule to optimize performance and recovery. This could involve eating higher carb meals around workouts and ensuring protein intake is spaced evenly throughout the day to support muscle repair.
Check out eatthismuch for simple, free, and comprehensive meal plans.
Best: Precision with Calorie and Macro Tracking
For athletes looking to maximize their performance and leave nothing to chance, the Best approach involves precise tracking of calories and macronutrients. This is particularly useful when trying to optimize body composition (losing fat, gaining muscle) or dialing in your race week nutrition.
- Track calories and macronutrients: Use apps like MyFitnessPal to log everything you eat. This helps you ensure you’re hitting your exact protein, fat, and carbohydrate goals based on your training and body composition objectives.
- Optimize nutrient timing: Focus on consuming the right nutrients at the right times, such as carbs before workouts for energy and proteins immediately after for recovery.
- Monitor progress: Regularly review how your nutrition affects your training performance, recovery, and energy levels. Adjust portions and macronutrient ratios as needed to support your race goals.
This approach allows for flexibility based on how detailed you want your nutrition strategy to be. Whether you follow the “Good” method for a more intuitive approach or the “Best” method for precise tracking, you can still fuel your body effectively to meet the demands of Hyrox training and racing.
Nutrition Strategies Leading Up to Race Week
As you approach race week, your nutritional strategy should shift to ensure that your body is fully fueled and ready for the demands of the competition. Here are the key components to focus on:
Carb Loading
Two days before the race, start to increase your carbohydrate intake to about 5–6 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight. This process is known as carb loading and is designed to maximize your body’s glycogen stores. Glycogen is the stored form of carbohydrate in your muscles and liver, and it serves as the primary energy source during high-intensity workouts and races.
A common mistake athletes make is overeating or drastically changing their diet during carb loading. Instead, simply increase your portions of familiar carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pasta, rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes, while maintaining your regular meal schedule.
Hydration and Electrolyte Balance
Proper hydration is vital, not just on race day, but in the days leading up to it. You should be drinking water consistently throughout the day, aiming for at least 600–900 ml of water per hour during periods of physical exertion.
Electrolytes are just as important as water. When you sweat, you lose sodium, potassium, and other essential minerals that help regulate muscle function and fluid balance. Make sure to include electrolyte-rich drinks (such as sports drinks or water with added electrolytes) to stay hydrated, particularly during your training and the race.
Fruit and Vegetable Intake
Maintaining a high intake of fruits and vegetables during race week is important for supporting your immune system and overall health. These nutrient-dense foods provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
A strong immune system is crucial to avoiding illness and staying in top shape during the final stages of training and on race day.
Race Day Nutrition: What to Eat Before Hyrox
On race day, your nutrition strategy should be focused on maintaining energy levels, avoiding digestive issues, and ensuring you feel strong throughout the competition.
Here’s how to structure your meals and fueling plan for maximum performance.
Pre-Race Meals
Your pre-race meal will depend on the time of your race. Whether it’s a morning or afternoon event, the goal is to ensure that you’ve provided your body with enough carbohydrates for energy while keeping meals light to avoid digestive discomfort.
- Morning Race:
- Aim for a high-carb breakfast about 2–3 hours before the race. Examples include oatmeal with fruit, toast with peanut butter, or a smoothie with banana and oats.
- About 60 minutes before the race, consume a light snack that’s easily digestible, such as a banana, a handful of pretzels, or a sports gel. This will top off your glycogen stores without making you feel too full.
- Afternoon Race:
- Have a balanced breakfast and lunch, incorporating carbs, proteins, and fats. Examples could include eggs with toast for breakfast, and a chicken and rice bowl for lunch.
- As with morning races, have a high-carb snack about an hour before the race to provide immediate energy. Focus on easy-to-digest foods like fruit or a sports bar.
Mid-Race Nutrition
For events lasting over an hour, especially Hyrox races that push you to your limits, mid-race fueling can be beneficial. A small carbohydrate snack (like a gel or an energy chew) can provide the quick fuel your body needs to sustain its performance, especially in the later stages of the race.
However, it’s essential to practice mid-race nutrition during training to avoid any surprises. Some athletes may experience stomach discomfort or cramping from certain products if they haven’t tested them ahead of time.
Hydration Strategy
Hydration during the race is crucial, especially if the race lasts more than an hour or takes place in warm conditions. Plan to consume 600–900 ml of water per hour, depending on your sweat rate and the temperature. Ensure you also replenish electrolytes during longer races, as sweating causes the loss of essential minerals, which can lead to cramping or fatigue.
Final Tips for Race Day Success
Stick to Your Routine
Race day is not the time to try out new foods, supplements, or fueling strategies. Stick with the meals and products that you’ve used during training and feel comfortable with. Introducing something new could lead to digestive issues, nausea, or other unexpected complications.
Plan Ahead
In the days leading up to the race, plan out your meals, snacks, and hydration strategy. Knowing exactly what and when you’ll eat can reduce stress and help you focus on your performance. Pack your race day fuel (gels, drinks, etc.) and make sure you have everything easily accessible before the race begins.
Test Your Race Day Nutrition in Training
Whether it’s a pre-race breakfast, a hydration strategy, or mid-race fueling, make sure you test all aspects of your nutrition during training. This way, you’ll know exactly how your body responds to different foods and drinks, and you can make adjustments well in advance of race day.
Conclusion: Master Your Hyrox Nutrition Strategy
Nutrition is a critical component of success in Hyrox and hybrid training. By understanding the balance of macronutrients, properly hydrating, and following smart fueling strategies, you’ll be better equipped to perform at your best. Leading up to race day, focus on carb loading, maintaining hydration, and sticking with familiar foods to avoid any unexpected issues.
On race day, rely on the tried-and-tested meals, snacks, and hydration plans you’ve practiced. Keep your energy levels steady and your hydration topped up so you can cross the finish line with strength and confidence.
Remember, the key to great performance isn’t just what you do during the race—it’s how well you’ve prepared your body to fuel, recover, and perform through nutrition.