Hybrid races like Hyrox have grow to be standard for a cause. They’re enjoyable to coach for, with a number of totally different elements to problem you and maintain it fascinating, they usually push your physique to its absolute restrict. Whereas most athletes put tons of thought into coaching, vitamin can typically be the lacking piece. Should you’re new to Hyrox (or competed as soon as and realized mid sled-push that you just underestimated the vitamin piece), this weblog is for you.
We’re breaking down the physiological calls for of hybrid coaching and the way correct vitamin may also help you prepare more durable, get better sooner, and carry out your finest on race day.
What’s Hyrox?
Hyrox is a hybrid endurance race that mixes working with purposeful health. The format contains 8 x 1km runs, each adopted by a exercise station (ski erg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmer’s carry, sandbag lunges, and wall balls). For many rivals, the race takes between 75-90 minutes to finish, placing it someplace between a 10k and a Crossfit metcon when it comes to length and depth. The variability within the occasion challenges athletes not solely aerobically, but additionally calls for endurance, explosiveness and psychological grit.
What’s Hybrid Coaching?
Hybrid coaching is a mix of power and endurance. For instance, suppose lifting and working or biking and CrossFit exercises. This type of coaching is demanding as a result of it challenges your physique to be highly effective, environment friendly, and sturdy sufficient to work for lengthy intervals of time. This presents a singular problem with regards to fueling as your physique wants to have the ability to entry and make the most of totally different power programs and get better shortly between efforts.
Extra particular to Hyrox, competing requires excessive depth efforts (stations like sled push and pull), endurance (whole run is roughly5 miles), and power and energy (as with the 100 wall balls on the finish!). This implies you might be taxing each your anaerobic (quick intense bursts) and cardio (longer, sustained power) programs. If fueling isn’t dialed in, you might be setting your self up for elevated danger of insufficient power and nutrient consumption, damage and burnout.
Zone 2 coaching (low to average depth cardio work) is commonly used throughout hybrid coaching to develop metabolic flexibility. Merely put, metabolic flexibility is your physique’s capability to modify between totally different gasoline sources. Nevertheless, with a purpose to capitalize on this effectivity, your each day fueling habits must assist it.
Foundational Vitamin for Hyrox
Carbohydrates: Your Foremost Hyrox Power Supply
Carbohydrates are important for each excessive depth and endurance efforts. Glycogen, the saved type of carbohydrate in your muscle mass and liver, is your major gasoline supply in a Hyrox race. With out sufficient carbohydrate consumption, you run the danger of hitting a wall onerous throughout coaching or competitors. Satisfactory carbohydrate consumption aids in:
- Replenishing muscle glycogen so you’ve got power on your subsequent exercise
- Delaying fatigue in coaching and competitors
- Supporting excessive energy output throughout stations
- Sustaining psychological focus and choice making
Whereas future content material will get you higher acquainted with how a lot carbohydrate you want and when, take a while to get snug together with carbs all through the day, particularly simply digestible carbs earlier than your exercises and prime quality sources to assist in restoration after.
Protein: Restore and Restoration
Protein helps muscle restore, limits muscle breakdown and helps your physique adapt to the stress of hybrid coaching. That is particularly vital with a excessive coaching demand. Sustaining muscle mass whereas coaching onerous and rising mileage could be tough- protein (with a superb power coaching program! ) is your ally right here. You additionally wish to consider protein as a structural and metabolic nutrient – not one that you just wish to burn for power. That is why reaching your protein wants, however not exceeding them in giant quantities, is right.
Fats: Help for Endurance and Restoration
Whereas carbs and protein might are usually the main focus, fats performs a huge function in supporting Hyrox athlete vitamin. Fat are vital for offering sustained power for decrease depth efforts and relaxation days. It additionally helps hormone manufacturing, mind well being and joint perform. Fat additionally play a task in nutrient absorption, particularly nutritional vitamins A, D, E, and Ok that are vital for restoration, bone well being, and extra.
Hydration and Electrolytes
With busy schedules and an affinity for espresso, we get that it’s simple to miss hydration. However prioritizing fluid consumption means optimizing use of the power vitamins coated, regulating physique temperature, and in the end enhancing your coaching and competitors experiences. Only a 2% fluid loss impairs bodily and psychological efficiency. What’s a 2% fluid loss? For some, it’s while you discover you’re thirsty. Contemplate these pointers forward of and through your hybrid coaching and discover what hydration merchandise may be finest for you right here.
Wish to study extra? Enroll to be the primary to know once we launch our subsequent Hyrox vitamin articles, recipes, sports activities vitamin product evaluations, and programming.
Written by Ellie Meyers MS, RD, CPT a sports activities dietitian to professional and collegiate athletes who repeatedly attends Hyrox coaching periods and accomplished her first Hyrox competitors in NYC in 2023.