What to Eat Before, During & After Your Hyrox Race (With Exact Timing)

You've trained for months. Your fitness is locked in. Now it's race week — and the question hits: "What exactly should I eat on race day?"

Get it right and you'll have stable energy through all 8 stations. Get it wrong and you'll bonk on the sled, cramp on the farmers carry, or spend precious time in the bathroom.

This guide gives you the exact timing, exact foods, and exact amounts for Hyrox race day — whether you're racing at 8am or 4pm.

Your race day nutrition actually starts the day before. Here's what to focus on:

• Increase carbs to 6-8g/kg body weight (carb loading)
• Reduce fiber to minimize GI issues on race day
• Stay hydrated: 2.5-3.5L of fluids throughout the day
• Eat familiar foods only — nothing new
• Include electrolytes, especially if racing in heat

Your dinner should be carb-heavy but not massive. A reasonable portion of pasta, rice, or potatoes with lean protein. Don't stuff yourself — you want to wake up hungry.

Work backwards from your race start time. Here's the framework:

• 5:00-5:30am: Wake up, start hydrating
• 5:30-6:00am: Main meal — oats with banana, honey, and a splash of milk + 2 slices of toast with jam
• 6:30-7:00am: 500ml water with electrolyte tablet
• 7:30-8:00am: Small snack — banana or rice cake with a thin spread of nut butter
• 8:30am: Optional gel or sports drink sips
• 9:00am: Race start

• 7:30-8:00am: Normal breakfast — eggs, toast, fruit
• 10:00-10:30am: Main pre-race meal — rice bowl with chicken, or pasta with light sauce
• 11:30am: 500ml water with electrolyte tablet
• 12:30pm: Small snack — banana, energy bar, or rice cakes
• 1:30pm: Optional gel or sports drink sips
• 2:00pm: Race start

Your main meal should be high carb, moderate protein, low fat, low fiber. Here are proven options:

• Oats with banana, honey, and a splash of milk (80-100g carbs)
• Toast (3-4 slices) with jam and a small amount of nut butter (70-90g carbs)
• White rice with eggs or chicken (100-120g carbs)
• Bagel with cream cheese and banana (80-100g carbs)
• Pancakes with maple syrup and fruit (90-110g carbs)

The golden rule: only eat foods you've tested in training. Race day is not the time to experiment.

• Banana (25-30g carbs)
• Rice cakes with jam (30-40g carbs)
• Energy bar (check label — aim for 30-40g carbs, low fat)
• White bread with honey (30-40g carbs)
• Sports drink (bottle typically 30-60g carbs)

Here's the truth: most Hyrox athletes overthink mid-race nutrition.

If you've carb loaded properly and eaten your pre-race meals, your glycogen stores are full. A 60-90 minute race doesn't deplete them completely — especially when your pre-race fueling is dialed in.

The one thing you can't skip: hydration. Drink 150-250ml in each Roxzone. If it's hot, add electrolytes to your bottle.

You just torched your glycogen and created muscle damage at every station. Your body is primed to absorb nutrients — don't waste this window.

• Timing: Within 30-60 minutes post-race
• Carbs: 1-1.5g per kg body weight (70-105g for 70kg athlete)
• Protein: 0.3-0.5g per kg (21-35g for 70kg athlete)
• Hydration: Start replacing fluid losses immediately

• Chocolate milk (50g carbs, 16g protein per 500ml)
• Protein smoothie with banana and oats
• Greek yogurt with granola and fruit
• Recovery shake + banana
• Bagel with cream cheese + protein bar

Then eat a proper meal within 2 hours: rice or pasta, lean protein, vegetables, and some healthy fats. This completes your recovery nutrition.

• High fiber foods (beans, high-fiber cereals, raw vegetables)
• High fat meals (fried foods, heavy cream sauces)
• New or untested foods
• Excessive caffeine (more than your normal amount)
• Alcohol the night before
• Large meals within 2 hours of start

MAVR eliminates the guesswork by building your race day plan automatically.

• Enter your race start time and MAVR calculates meal timing backwards
• Get specific carb targets for each eating window
• Track your carb loading in the days before
• See your glycogen projection to know you're topped up
• Receive post-race recovery guidance