What To Eat Before, During, And After Hyrox

Day Before | Night Before | Morning Of Race | During Race | Race Day Summary | Before Workouts | Training Day Nutrition | Training Season

You've done the training and are feeling confident, but now it's nearly Hyrox race day you're probably wondering what should you eat for Hyrox.

It's an important question: Hyrox nutrition needs to fuel your body for running cardio, muscular endurance, and power output, without leaving you feeling sluggish.

Let's look at what to eat before, during, and after Hyrox, and the best way to fuel your biggest training sessions.

What you eat the day before Hyrox should aim to keep your glycogen stores topped up without weighing you down. The day before your race, focus on reasonable sized meals of complex carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein, and minimal fats. Don’t eat anything new, and don’t stuff yourself with large meals.

Good foods the day before a Hyrox race include oats, potatoes and sweet potatoes, rice and other wholegrains, pasta, or wraps. Protein choices could include lean meats, fish, eggs, or dairy if your body tolerates it – aim for 1.2-1.6g protein per 1kg bodyweight.

Remember to stay well hydrated the day before your Hyrox event. If you’ll be racing in warm weather or a hot country, add electrolytes to some of your drinks to replace any lost through sweating. Aim to get to the start line fuelled and hydrated.

The night before your Hyrox event, keep it simple and high carb. Have a moderate sized meal of easily digested carbohydrates, some protein, and minimal fats. This isn’t the time to be loading up on veggies – they’re healthy but could be too much fibre. Meals like tuna pasta, chicken and rice, or potatoes with your choice of protein would go down well.

Stop eating 3-4 hours before bedtime to allow your body to digest the food without disrupting your sleep. You’ve probably set an early alarm, so you need all the sleep you can get!

Start thinking about what to eat morning of Hyrox during your training. Whatever works well for you as a pre-training meal (especially morning training) will work for race day, but get this figured out ahead of race day. You want plenty of carbs, some protein, and not much fat, and you want enough calories to fuel you without requiring too much digestion.

Some ideas to get your started include protein porridge with a banana, honey and cottage cheese on toast, or a bagel with peanut butter and jam. If you prefer savoury breakfasts, eggs on toast or chicken sausages in a bagel are a couple of ideas.

Whatever you have, eat it 2-4 hours before your race start time. Then take a small, high carb snack to have about 60-90 minutes beforehand.

Have a coffee on the morning of your Hyrox race if you usually drink coffee, and don’t forget to start hydrating early - add electrolytes to your morning water can be a great help.

The question of can you eat during Hyrox depends a few factors – how long is the race likely to take, do you usually eat during events of that length, and can your stomach tolerate eating during intense exercise? Most athletes do a Hyrox in 60-90 minutes, which doesn't require mid-race fuelling. But it’s a matter of preference. Some people feel more confident if they have a gel or a handful of jelly sweets during the event.

One thing you should definitely do during your Hyrox event is drink! Water is a must, and electrolytes are a smart choice if the weather is hot or humid. Some athletes choose to drink an intra-workout sprots drink that contains carbohydrate, and this can be a great way of getting some energy in without eating food. Sip on your drinks during transitions, and aim for 150-250ml every 15-20 minutes.

What do eat day of Hyrox means thinking beyond your pre-race meal. If you’re racing afternoon or evening, lunch should be a familiar, digestible meal of carbs and some protein, eaten 3-4 hours before race time.

Avoid large meals close to the race start time. A better strategy is a meal that’s slightly smaller than usual, then a high-carb snack closer to the start.

Plan your post-race nutrition so you can eat it within an hour of finishing. Include carbohydrates and protein, such as chocolate milk, a protein shake with fruit, or a bagel with protein filling.

Your evening meal should contain carbs, protein, fats, and veggies, to continue refuelling and giving your body the nutrition it needs to recover.

Wondering what to eat before Hyrox training? Training nutrition isn't just about fuelling your workouts; it's also an opportunity to try things out for race day. High-intensity exercise and running can cause digestive issues so use this time to discover foods and meals you tolerate well.

For morning sessions, eat a light meal of carbs and protein 1-2 hours beforehand, then sip on water or electrolytes. If you're doing an afternoon training session, you'll have time for a more substantial pre-workout meal 2-3 hours before training. Again, choose a meal of carbohydrates, moderate protein, and minimal fat.

Training day nutrition is about workout performance and recovery. Start with a balanced breakfast including carbohydrates and protein (eggs on toast, Greek yogurt with fruit, protein porridge or a protein smoothie). For lunch and dinner, choose moderate sized meals of carbs, protein, and just enough dietary fats to feel satisfied.

For your post-training meal, again combine carbs, protein, and some fats. This is your best opportunity to add in vegetables (having them in pre-training meals could be too much fibre for your stomach).

Hyrox prep can take up several months, so it makes sense to nail your nutrition throughout the season. Get into simple, repeatable habits that tick all the boxes (carbs, protein, healthy fats, wholefoods, hydration) from foods you actually enjoy. There are so many ways to build a selection of healthy meals that you can rotate, you don't need to punish yourself with foods you don't like eating.

Many people find it useful to plan meals out for the week, and do a big batch cook once a week. This can save you time and decision fatigue when training gets tiring.

Keep your protein levels steady throughout the training block (at about 1.2-1.6g protein per kg bodyweight) and alter your carbohydrate intake based on training load. Increase your carbs on high-volume days, reduce on rest days. Learn to listen to your body and respond to hunger, energy, and training performance.

Want to do a Hyrox race? Check out our guide on what to expect at a Hyrox race here. Why not try one of our Hyrox classes too! Find your nearest PureGym to get started.