Mavr Sports Nutrition Team
October 2, 2026. 10 min read.
Moving from Open to Pro is the big step in Hyrox. The running stays the same, but every loaded station gets heavier. Most people ask whether they should train differently. Fewer ask whether they should eat differently. The short answer: the structure of your fueling stays the same, but the amounts can change, because Pro can change how long you race and how much your muscles are damaged.
This guide puts the official Open and Pro weights side by side, explains what the heavier loads do to your race, and shows how to adjust race-day carbs, gels, protein, and recovery. It also covers body size, because in Pro your weight matters in two ways: how hard the loads feel and how many grams of carbs you need.
These are the official singles weights from the current rulebook. Sled weights include the sled. Both sleds are 50 m, done as 4 lengths of 12.5 m. Every division runs 8 x 1 km.
| Station | Women Open | Men Open and Women Pro | Men Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. SkiErg | 1,000 m | 1,000 m | 1,000 m |
| 2. Sled push | 102 kg (225 lb) | 152 kg (335 lb) | 202 kg (445 lb) |
| 3. Sled pull | 78 kg (172 lb) | 103 kg (227 lb) | 153 kg (337 lb) |
| 4. Burpee broad jumps | 80 m | 80 m | 80 m |
| 5. Rowing | 1,000 m | 1,000 m | 1,000 m |
| 6. Farmers carry 200 m | 2 x 16 kg (35 lb) | 2 x 24 kg (53 lb) | 2 x 32 kg (71 lb) |
| 7. Sandbag lunges 100 m | 10 kg (22 lb) | 20 kg (44 lb) | 30 kg (66 lb) |
| 8. Wall balls 100 reps | 4 kg (9 lb) | 6 kg (13 lb) | 9 kg (20 lb) |
Two things stand out. Women Pro race exactly the same loads as Men Open. And the jump from Men Open to Men Pro is big: 50 kg more on the sled push and pull, a third more on the farmers carry, half as much again on the sandbag, and a 50 percent heavier wall ball. The SkiErg, burpees, row, and runs do not change at all.
Research on Hyrox is new, but it points the same way. In a study of more than 39,000 Pro and Elite results, running made up about half of total race time, and faster running explained most of the improvement at the top. The strength stations reshuffled the rankings much more among slower racers. In other words, the heavier loads cost a strong, fast Pro racer a little and a weaker one a lot.
Stations take longer
Your total race time can go up, which can move you into the range where a gel helps
More time near max effort
More reliance on stored carbs. Start the race with full glycogen
Heavier eccentric work (sleds, lunges)
More muscle soreness. Protein after the race matters more
More heavy strength in training
Steady protein through the week and carbs around big sled days
Running is the same 8 km
Your run fitness still drives your result. Fuel your key runs too
| What changes in Pro | What it means for fueling |
|---|---|
| Stations take longer | Your total race time can go up, which can move you into the range where a gel helps |
| More time near max effort | More reliance on stored carbs. Start the race with full glycogen |
| Heavier eccentric work (sleds, lunges) | More muscle soreness. Protein after the race matters more |
| More heavy strength in training | Steady protein through the week and carbs around big sled days |
| Running is the same 8 km | Your run fitness still drives your result. Fuel your key runs too |
For a sense of scale: among the top 100 Pro racers in the seventh season, men had a median time of about 57 minutes and women about 63 minutes. Most age-group Pro racers are slower than that. In the first lab study of Hyrox, recreational athletes doing an Open simulation took a median of about 86 minutes, with roughly 51 minutes running and 33 minutes at the stations.
Carbohydrate advice during exercise is set by how long you race and how hard. Sports nutrition guidelines suggest small amounts or a carb mouth rinse for hard efforts of 45 to 75 minutes, and 30 to 60 g per hour for efforts of 1 to 2.5 hours. So the first question for any Pro racer is simple: how long will my race take?
Under 75 minutes
Before the raceCarb breakfast 2 to 3 hours before, 20 to 30 g top-up 30 minutes before
During the raceWater at the Roxzone. A gel is optional
75 to 105 minutes
Before the raceSame, plus a carb-rich day before
During the race30 to 45 g per hour: usually one or two gels on the run out of a station
Over 105 minutes
Before the raceSame, plus a carb-rich day before
During the race45 to 60 g per hour: two or three gels, starting early
| Expected finish | Before the race | During the race |
|---|---|---|
| Under 75 minutes | Carb breakfast 2 to 3 hours before, 20 to 30 g top-up 30 minutes before | Water at the Roxzone. A gel is optional |
| 75 to 105 minutes | Same, plus a carb-rich day before | 30 to 45 g per hour: usually one or two gels on the run out of a station |
| Over 105 minutes | Same, plus a carb-rich day before | 45 to 60 g per hour: two or three gels, starting early |
A fast Pro racer who finishes in 65 minutes can race on breakfast and a top-up, like a fast Open racer. A strong Open racer who moves up and finishes 8 minutes slower might cross from the first row into the second. Use your Pro simulation time, not your old Open time, to choose your row. Our free Hyrox nutrition calculator has a Pro option and sizes the plan to your weight and target time.
Carb and protein targets are set per kg of body weight. A 90 kg Men Pro racer and a 60 kg Women Pro racer can follow the same plan, but the grams are very different.
| Body weight | Race breakfast (1.25 g/kg) | Day before (6 g/kg) | Protein per day (1.8 g/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg (132 lb) | 75 g carbs | 360 g carbs | 108 g |
| 75 kg (165 lb) | 95 g carbs | 450 g carbs | 135 g |
| 90 kg (198 lb) | 115 g carbs | 540 g carbs | 162 g |
The loads, though, are not set per kg. A 202 kg sled is a much bigger share of a 75 kg man than of a 95 kg man. That is one reason lighter athletes often find Pro stations slow, and why their Pro race can run longer than they expect. If that is you, plan for the longer time and take the gel.
The first lab study of Hyrox found that faster finishers had a higher VO2max, did more endurance training, and had lower body fat. That describes fit people. It is not a reason to cut food before a Pro race. The Pro weights stay the same when you get lighter, so the stations feel heavier. Eating too little for your training also raises the risk of low energy availability, which harms health, recovery, and performance. If you want to change body composition, do it slowly, early in the season, and never in the last weeks before a race.
Pro training usually adds heavier sled work, heavier lunges, and more lifting on top of the running. Two things follow.
Day before
OpenCarb-rich meals if you expect 60 minutes or more
ProSame. Bigger athletes need more grams
Breakfast
Open1 to 1.5 g carbs per kg, 2 to 3 hours before
ProSame
Top-up
Open20 to 30 g carbs about 30 minutes before
ProSame
Caffeine
OpenAbout 3 mg per kg if you use it
ProSame. The heavy stations do not need more
During
OpenSet by finish time
ProSet by finish time. Re-check it after moving up
After
Open1 g carbs per kg plus 20 to 30 g protein within an hour
ProSame, with protein first after heavy sleds and lunges
| Step | Open | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Day before | Carb-rich meals if you expect 60 minutes or more | Same. Bigger athletes need more grams |
| Breakfast | 1 to 1.5 g carbs per kg, 2 to 3 hours before | Same |
| Top-up | 20 to 30 g carbs about 30 minutes before | Same |
| Caffeine | About 3 mg per kg if you use it | Same. The heavy stations do not need more |
| During | Set by finish time | Set by finish time. Re-check it after moving up |
| After | 1 g carbs per kg plus 20 to 30 g protein within an hour | Same, with protein first after heavy sleds and lunges |
The rules on food are the same in every division: carry any food from the start, drink the water at the Roxzone, and take nothing from spectators. Take gels on the run out of a station, never on the SkiErg or rower.
That is a training question more than a food question, but a few signs help. You can do the Pro sled push and pull in training without stopping for long, you can carry 2 x 24 kg (women) or 2 x 32 kg (men) for 200 m with few breaks, and you can do 100 wall balls at the Pro weight in good sets. If those feel far away, another Open race at a faster time may teach you more. Athletes aged 60 and over can race Pro at regular events, but they qualify for the World Championships through Open only.
The running and the stations are the same. Pro uses heavier loads on the sled push, sled pull, farmers carry, sandbag lunges, and wall balls. Women Pro use the men's Open weights, and Men Pro use the heaviest weights: a 202 kg sled push, 153 kg sled pull, 2 x 32 kg kettlebells, a 30 kg sandbag, and a 9 kg wall ball.
Only if your race takes longer or you weigh more. Carb advice depends on how long you race and your body weight. If moving to Pro pushes your finish past about 75 minutes, add 30 to 45 g of carbs per hour, usually one or two gels.
For the same athlete, usually yes, because the stations are heavier. But athletes who choose Pro are usually fitter, so your own Pro simulation time is the best guide. Among the top 100 Pro racers in a recent season, men finished in about 57 minutes and women in about 63 minutes.
About 1.6 to 2.0 g per kg of body weight per day, spread over 4 meals of 20 to 40 g. Put protein in the meal after heavy sled and lunge sessions, and after the race itself.
No, not in the weeks before a race. The Pro weights do not change when you get lighter, so the stations feel harder, and eating too little for your training harms recovery and health. If you want to change body composition, do it slowly and early in the season.
Yes. Women Pro is its own division and uses the same weights as Men Open: a 152 kg sled push, 103 kg sled pull, 2 x 24 kg kettlebells, a 20 kg sandbag, and a 6 kg wall ball.
General guidance for healthy adults, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian if you have a health condition, take medicines or have special dietary needs. Caffeine advice is for healthy adults only. EFSA's safe limit is 200 mg in one dose and 400 mg in a day.
Mavr builds a race-day plan sized to your division, expected finish time, and body weight, and sets daily carbs and protein from your synced Hyrox training.
Ask Kai, the coach in the app