Eat a normal carb-rich dinner. Keep it familiar. Do not test a new gel, drink, or tablet.
HYROX, Fuelled/Part 3
Race-Day
Fuel
HYROX is too short for marathon-style fuelling and too long to leave to a pre-workout. The best plan is simple: start fed, carry only what helps, drink with purpose, and test everything before race day.
01 - The 60-110 minute problem
You are topping up, not eating a full meal on course.
A typical HYROX race sits somewhere between a hard run and a strength-endurance test. The runs keep pulling on steady energy; the sled, lunges, burpees, and wall balls add hard spikes. You need enough carbohydrate to stay sharp, but not so much that your stomach becomes the problem.
Think of race fuel as a small top-up. The real job is to arrive fed, avoid a late-race dip, and keep fluids from becoming a guess.
02 - Build the plan
Build a plan from your expected finish time.
Use your real target finish time, not your dream time. Treat the result as a starting point, then test it during hard sessions before Delhi or Mumbai.
Carb target
45 g/hr
Based on a 100 min race. Test this in hard training before you use it on race day.
Pre-race meal120-160 g carb
During2 gels
Pack3 gels
Fluid500-750 ml
What to do with this
Keep sodium with your fluid. Drink to stay steady, not to force the bottle down.
Eat 120-160 g carbs from foods you know sit well.
If you do not know your sweat rate, use a normal electrolyte drink. Check your sweat rate after your next hard session.
Take a small carb top-up only if you have used it in training. Use caffeine only if it is already normal for you.
Aim for about 45 g carbs per hour. Use about 2 gels. Pack 3 if gels are your only carb source. Carry 500-750 ml with electrolytes.
Weigh in before and after a hard session. Use that to set your refill number.
Gels
30 g carbohydrate, 2:1, 200 mg sodium; isotonic (no water needed)
30 g carbohydrate, 2:1 malto:fructose; carb stated on front
25 g carbohydrate, ~100 kcal; hydrogel; 6 ingredients; no colours/flavours/preservatives
Electrolytes
5 electrolytes per tab: Na 180, K 77, Cl, Mg 20, Ca + Vit C/B12; 2:1 carb; low sugar; hypotonic
Zero-sugar electrolyte effervescent
Electrolyte salt capsules; 100 caps; 132 g pack
Magnesium
Triple magnesium (bisglycinate, citrate, aspartate) + L-glycine, L-theanine, zinc; 6-in-1; stick packs
~340 mg elemental magnesium from ~2040 mg glycinate per 2-tab serving; chelated
Race-day rules
Nothing new on race day. Do not drink just to match sweat loss. Too much water can be dangerous. These are estimates for healthy adults. If you have a medical condition or a past heat issue, work with a sports doctor or dietitian.
03 - Before the gun
The most important fuel is before the start.
For most athletes, a useful pre-race meal is about 1.5-2 g carbohydrate per kilogram of bodyweight, eaten early enough that it is not sitting heavily in the stomach. For an 80 kg athlete, that is roughly 120-160 g carbohydrate. Think familiar breakfast foods, low drama, and no new high-fibre experiment.
The night before should be familiar in the best way: enough carbs, normal salt, normal protein, and a meal you already know. Race week is not the time to learn that a new gel, magnesium tablet, or pre-workout does not agree with you.
04 - During the race
Use gels only when the race is long enough to need them.
| Finish time | Carb target | Practical read |
|---|---|---|
| Under 60 min | 0 g/hr | Start fed. You probably do not need mid-race fuel. |
| 60-90 min | About 30 g/hr | One gel or a small carb drink can be enough. |
| 90-110 min | About 45 g/hr | Often two gels in practice; pack a third only if needed. |
| 110+ min | About 60 g/hr | Practice the timing and make sure your stomach agrees. |
| Product | CleanLabel° read | Why it is here | Price snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| C30 Energy Gel NEVERSECOND Shop / source | 89/100 CleanLabel° read | 30 g carbohydrate, 2:1, 200 mg sodium; isotonic (no water needed) | INR 3500 |
| PF 30 Gel Precision Fuel & Hydration | 86/100 CleanLabel° read | 30 g carbohydrate, 2:1 malto:fructose; carb stated on front | INR 997 |
| Gel 100 Maurten | 84/100 CleanLabel° read | 25 g carbohydrate, ~100 kcal; hydrogel; 6 ingredients; no colours/flavours/preservatives | INR 313 |
| Gel 100 Unived Shop / source | 78/100 CleanLabel° read | 25-26 g carbohydrate, ~100-110 kcal; beta-alanine + Sustamine; water-based; vegan; WADA-free | INR 585 |
| PRO x HYROX The Energy Gel (Guava) Myprotein Shop / source | 74/100 CleanLabel° read | 30 g carbs with electrolytes and B vitamins; Guava flavour; endurance energy for high-intensity training | INR 7781 |
| Energy Gel (Chocolate Bourbon Caffeinated) Fast&Up Shop / source | 71/100 CleanLabel° read | Caffeinated Chocolate Bourbon energy gel; instant energy boost; endurance and performance positioning | INR 600 |
| Energy Gel (Mixed Fruit) GU Energy Shop / source | 68/100 CleanLabel° read | ~22 g carbohydrate, 2:1 malto:fructose; caffeinated options; mixed pack | INR 8900 |
05 - Fluids and sodium
Replace enough fluid. Do not chase every drop.
Delhi in July and Mumbai in September are indoor events, but warm-up areas, humidity, nerves, and repeated high-output stations still produce real sweat loss. The useful target is not to drink back every drop. It is to avoid a big fluid gap while staying comfortable and keeping sodium in the plan.
| Product | CleanLabel° read | Why it is here | Price snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reload (Lime Lemon) Fast&Up | 82/100 CleanLabel° read | 5 electrolytes per tab: Na 180, K 77, Cl, Mg 20, Ca + Vit C/B12; 2:1 carb; low sugar; hypotonic | INR 112 |
| Reload Zero (Ice Current) Fast&Up | 78/100 CleanLabel° read | Zero-sugar electrolyte effervescent | INR 247 |
| Electrolyte Salt Caps Unived Shop / source | 76/100 CleanLabel° read | Electrolyte salt capsules; 100 caps; 132 g pack | INR 810 |
| Recharge Electrolyte Mix LMNT | 71/100 CleanLabel° read | 1000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium, 60 mg magnesium; zero sugar | Check current price |
| Supply6 Salts Supply6 Shop / source | 60/100 CleanLabel° read | Hydration salts product for electrolyte support; final SKU details stored from linked listing | INR 430 |
06 - The ORS label trap
ORS is useful, but it is not automatically race fuel.
WHO-formula ORS is built for clinical rehydration, especially fluid loss from illness. That does not make it the best during-exercise fuel for HYROX. It can be sodium-heavy, light on race carbs, and easy to confuse with drinks that use ORS language without being the same thing.
Final Amazon-linked price snapshot: INR 940 for pack of 30
Orange ORS ready-to-drink electrolyte beverage; 200 ml bottles; sodium, potassium and dextrose; no caffeineShop / source07 - Magnesium and cramps
Magnesium is support, not a cramp cure.
Cramps in HYROX are usually about fatigue, pacing, heat, sodium, or some mix of those. Magnesium is not a quick fix for wall balls. If you use it, the label still matters: glycinate, bisglycinate, and citrate are more defensible than oxide when absorption is the point.
The current Fast&Up pick here is Magnimax, which uses more defensible magnesium forms than basic oxide. Still, treat magnesium as support, not a cramp cure.
| Product | CleanLabel° read | Why it is here | Price snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnimax Fast&Up Shop / source | 75/100 CleanLabel° read | Triple magnesium (bisglycinate, citrate, aspartate) + L-glycine, L-theanine, zinc; 6-in-1; stick packs | INR 250 |
| Chelated Magnesium Glycinate Carbamide Forte | 75/100 CleanLabel° read | ~340 mg elemental magnesium from ~2040 mg glycinate per 2-tab serving; chelated | INR 697 |
08 - The simple race-week rule
The best race-week plan should feel familiar.
The final plan should fit on one note: familiar carb meal, rehearsed gel timing, electrolyte bottle, no new products, and a post-race refill with sodium and normal food. If your sweat rate is still a guess, start with the sweat-rate calculator, then come back to the fuel planner.
Series guide