Fuelling a HYROX early Kick Off!

This weekend saw my second run out at HYROX the ultimate fitness event involving 8km of running interspersed with 8 functional fitness stations. The average time of completion is around 1 hour 30 minutes and the event tests strength, aerobic capacity and anaerobic threshold. To perform well you need to be well fuelled and well hydrated. Within this post I will discuss my strategy and the few speed bumps along the way.

My start time for this race was 8:20am, therefore, the best opportunity to begin carb loading is the evening before. I took full advantage of all the dough balls, pizza and ice cream that Milanos had to offer to ensure my muscles were fully saturated with glycogen for the morning. We then checked-in at the the hotel to the humbling news that breakfast did not open until 7am in the morning. We had to leave at 6:30am to ensure time for registration, warm up and make the start!

Adapt and overcome.

The aim of the pre-event meal is to consume around 1 gram per kg of bodyweight of easily digestible carbohydrate. A continental breakfast option of cereals, toast and fruits would have been ideal here but it wasn't to be. Luckily, I came somewhat prepared with cereal bars and jelly sweets from the airport and the hotel did have one option open 247, the vending machine! Which, I was delighted to see stocked with Lucozade sport. Across two cereal bars, a handful of jelly sweets and washed down with Lucozade, I had the right amount carbs in my system to compete and shave 2 minutes off my previous run out!

This is what happens in the world of performance nutrition, with implications of travel, altering schedules and individual athlete preferences all impacting upon decisions. It is a fast paced environment but with sharp thinking and bits of preparation you can always fuel for the work required.