HYROX places a completely different burden on the body than a running race of similar duration. During the race, you have to complete 8 × 1 km of running, and after each kilometer, a functional station follows: SkiErg, Sled Push, Sled Pull, Burpee Broad Jump, rowing, Farmers Carry, Sandbag Lunges, and finally 100 Wall Balls.

Running is therefore only one part of the exertion. Your legs, core, and upper body are constantly working, while your heart rate is high, sweating can be significant, and after each strength exercise, you have to run again.

Therefore, HYROX nutrition should be based on a simple, easy-to-implement system. Three areas play a key role:

energy – electrolyte replacement – recovery.

3 hours before the start

Consume your last significant meal preferably 3 hours before the start. Choose well-known, easily digestible foods, and avoid anything you already know will upset your stomach during intense exercise. Pay attention to fluid intake even during this period. The goal is to arrive at the start adequately hydrated.

HEED before the race

HEED can be used effectively as part of pre-race hydration. Sipped gradually in smaller doses, it provides fluids, carbohydrates, and electrolytes. Using your own sports drink during a HYROX race is less straightforward, which is why we haven't made HEED a mandatory element of the basic package. If you can manage to use your own drink, it can naturally be integrated into your in-race nutrition as well.

20–30 minutes before the start – begin electrolyte replacement

In HYROX, we place a special emphasis on electrolyte replacement. Sled Push, Sled Pull, Farmers Carry, Sandbag Lunges, and Wall Ball require significant muscular effort. This is accompanied by running and intense sweating, often in a hot, crowded indoor environment.

As a starting point, we recommend 2–4 Endurolytes capsules 15–30 minutes before the start.

The appropriate amount is individual. It depends on body weight, sweating intensity, individual electrolyte loss, and race conditions. Based on Hammer's general recommendations, Endurolytes needs can range from 1–6 capsules per hour, with 2–4 capsules being the starting range for most athletes.

For athletes who sweat heavily, Endurolytes Extreme can also be a good choice.

Electrolyte replacement should be tested during training, just like energy replenishment.

5–10 minutes before the start – Hammer Gel

Immediately before the start, you need a small-volume, easy-to-consume energy source.

Consume 1 Hammer Gel 5–10 minutes before the start, with a few sips of water.

Hammer Gel is particularly practical for HYROX. It takes up little space, is easy to carry with you, and can be consumed quickly even during the race. It is important that Hammer Gel does not replace electrolyte replacement. Therefore, energy and electrolyte intake are treated separately.

What to bring to a HYROX race?

HYROX rules allow the use of your own nutrition under specified conditions. Hammer Gel and Endurolytes capsules are ideal in this regard: they are light, take up little space, and are easy to carry with you.

At the aid stations available during the race, we primarily recommend consuming water, especially if you have already developed your own energy and electrolyte strategy in advance. This way, you know exactly what you have taken into your body, and you don't have to rely on an untested sports drink or other refreshment on race day.

How much energy do you need?

It is worth tailoring your HYROX nutrition to your expected finish time.

Approximately 60-minute HYROX

If you arrive adequately fueled and hydrated, Hammer Gel and Endurolytes before the start can provide a good foundation for many athletes.

During the race, focus primarily on fluid intake. It's still worth carrying an additional Hammer Gel with you. It takes up hardly any space and is available if you need it.

60–90 minute HYROX

In this time frame, it is worth planning for a second Hammer Gel. Consume this roughly in the middle part of the race, preferably timed so that you can take it with water.

Continue electrolyte replacement based on your sweating and your individual needs previously determined during training.

HYROX over 90 minutes

As the duration of the race increases, the role of in-race energy and electrolyte intake becomes more significant.

In such cases, additional Hammer Gel may also be justified. Continue to adjust the amount of Endurolytes to individual needs and circumstances. The goal is not to take in as much energy and electrolytes as possible. Consume only as much as your body needs and tolerates well during the exertion.

Electrolyte replacement in HYROX – why do we deal with it so much?

During HYROX, muscles receive continuously varying loads.

Just think about how it feels to run again after a tough Sled Push, then do lunges with a sandbag, and finally complete 100 Wall Balls with tired legs and upper body. This is accompanied by fluid and electrolyte loss during sweating.

Endurolytes provides a full-spectrum electrolyte formula. In addition to sodium, it also contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, and manganese. Therefore, in our HYROX nutrition system, Endurolytes is as important a basic element as the energy-providing Hammer Gel.

A recent experience of ours from a HYROX race

Recently, we saw a very striking example with our own eyes.

At the HYROX race, the eventual winner of the women's field encountered serious problems in the middle of the race, and her continuation became questionable.

We gave her four Endurolytes capsules.

Within minutes, her condition stabilized enough for her to continue the race. She eventually finished and won the women's race. We have similar experiences from ultra-runners, endurance athletes, and our own races. In cramping or near-cramping conditions, we have observed rapid improvement on several occasions after taking Endurolytes.

There can be several reasons for muscle cramps, which is why we primarily treat electrolyte replacement as part of a preventive strategy. It is much better to find out your own electrolyte needs during training and to start with an appropriate plan than to only start dealing with it when the problem already arises.

Did you finish? Recovery has already begun

After HYROX, it is advisable to start recovery as soon as possible. In addition to the 8 km run, sled pushing, pulling, burpees, Farmers Carry, lunges, and Wall Balls represent significant muscular exertion.

After finishing, consume Recoverite as soon as possible, preferably within 30 minutes.

A full dose of Recoverite contains 33 grams of complex carbohydrates, 10 grams of protein, and 3 grams of L-glutamine. Carbohydrates help replenish depleted glycogen stores, and protein provides amino acids for the muscles. This is particularly practical immediately after finishing, as many athletes do not yet have an appetite for a full meal at this time. Later, of course, a suitable, complete meal and fluid replacement should follow.

Hammer Nutrition HYROX Basic Package

The HYROX basic package was deliberately designed to be simple and affordable.

3 × Hammer Gel

Energy before the start and during the race if needed.

2 x Endurolytes Sample

Full-spectrum electrolyte replacement before the start and during the race based on individual needs.

1 × Recoverite

To begin recovery immediately after finishing.

With these three product types, you can cover the three most important areas of HYROX nutrition: energy, electrolyte replacement, and recovery.

 

Would you like to further develop your HYROX nutrition?

We deliberately kept the basic package simple. However, the system can be further developed for those who regularly train for HYROX and want to get more out of their race day protocol.

Fully Charged – a natural, stimulant-free pre-race formula

Fully Charged can fit particularly well into the HYROX pre-race protocol. Its formula does not rely on high doses of caffeine or added synthetic stimulants. The green tea leaf extract it contains naturally provides only about 10–15 mg of caffeine per serving.

It also contains taurine, beta-alanine, L-carnitine fumarate, L-tyrosine, beetroot powder, Spectra™ plant blend, and elevATP®. This complex composition makes it particularly interesting before an intense race like HYROX.

Use 1 serving approximately 15–30 minutes before the start.

Fully Charged is not a classic, high-caffeine pre-workout. This makes it an interesting alternative even for athletes who want to avoid pre-race supplements based on high stimulant doses.

Energy Surge – rapid ATP support for high-intensity sections

Due to the nature of HYROX, Energy Surge can be a particularly interesting supplement. The product contains 100 mg of PEAK ATP® per tablet and is specifically designed to support high-intensity, repetitive exertions.

This fits well with the demands of HYROX, where running sections are interspersed with intense tasks such as Sled Push, Sled Pull, Burpee Broad Jump, Farmers Carry, or Wall Ball.

For short, high-intensity races, 2-4 Energy Surge tablets can be used 5–30 minutes before the start. Let the tablet dissolve under your tongue. To speed up absorption, you can also chew it, then hold it in your mouth for 1–5 minutes before swallowing.

Energy Surge can also be used during the race as needed. In HYROX, an interesting timing for this could be the second half of the race, when, in addition to accumulated fatigue, significant tasks such as Sandbag Lunges and 100 Wall Balls still await you.

Energy Surge is not a carbohydrate supplement, so it does not replace Hammer Gel. It plays a different role in the system: Gel provides the carbohydrate side of energy supply, while Energy Surge is a performance supplement based on a direct ATP source.

Endurance BCAA+ – targeted amino acids for intense muscular work

HYROX also places significant strength-endurance demands. Endurance BCAA+ contains leucine, isoleucine, valine, L-alanine, and reduced glutathione.

In Hammer Nutrition's nutrition protocols, Endurance BCAA+ also appears before exertion.

In the case of HYROX, it is primarily worth considering as a supplement to the pre-race protocol. For longer exertions, its use can be continued according to the product's dosage instructions.

And where is HEED?

We deliberately haven't forgotten about it.

HEED can be used very well during HYROX training and for pre-race hydration. If race conditions allow you to conveniently use your own drink, it can also be integrated into your nutrition during the race.

If this is not possible, the Hammer Gel + Endurolytes + water combination provides a simpler race day system.

This way, you don't have to rely on an unknown sports drink provided by the event.

Don't try it for the first time at the HYROX race

Nutrition needs to be trained just like Sled Push or Wall Ball.

Try in advance how you tolerate Hammer Gel at a high heart rate. Find out how much Endurolytes works for you at different temperatures and sweating intensities. If Fully Charged, Energy Surge, or Endurance BCAA+ will also be part of your system, use them during training beforehand.

Wherever possible, stick to the nutrition system you have already tried. If you prepare with Hammer Nutrition products, it is also worth building on these during the race, because this way you know exactly what you are consuming, in what quantity, and how your body reacts to it.

HYROX nutrition doesn't have to be complicated.

Arrive at the start adequately fueled. Take care of your electrolytes. Bring the energy you might need. And at the finish line, start your recovery immediately.