The flow-on effects of this new fitness competition have been seen in the world of physiotherapy, as more Hyrox athletes walk through our doors with all manner of aches and pains. As the quality of this competition continues to elevate, more Hyrox athletes are seeking out health and fitness professionals to understand how to best prepare their bodies for the rigorous training and competition schedule.
In more recent times, patients participating in Hyrox are consistently asking more questions about recovery. They want to know how to best structure their training, how to recover between sessions, which recovery strategies are worthwhile and which are just a gimmick. Ultimately, they want to make sure they’re in the best position to train to the highest standard each and every session.
In this article, we’ll talk through some of the key recovery strategies every Hyrox athlete should undertake.
Sleep
Sleep is one of the most, if not the most, critical components of recovery for any competitive athlete, Hyrox included. There is extensive, high-level research supporting the benefits of high-quality, appropriately timed sleep, including:
- Improved recovery from previous training stress and strain
- Growth and adaptation of the nervous and muscular systems
- Improved quality of future training and competition performance
- Reduced risk of non-contact injury
To improve your sleep and achieve these benefits, focus on establishing a good sleep routine. A consistent sleep and wake time, a cool bedroom environment, regular physical activity, good nutrition and early morning sunlight exposure can all make a meaningful difference to sleep quality.
Load Management
“Load management” is a term used often, but not always with a clear understanding of what it actually means. Essentially, load, or training, management is the process of creating a structured training plan that optimises the balance between training and recovery. If training is structured poorly, that balance is thrown off, which can result in excessive fatigue, an elevated risk of bone and soft tissue injury, and a decrease in training quality and performance.
To improve load management, it’s always best to consult a health and exercise professional such as a physiotherapist. A physiotherapist has the knowledge and experience to help structure your training week, month or even year, depending on the level of complexity you want, and can give you key strategies to help regulate training load based on the natural fluctuations in your week.
As a basic principle, there are four key metrics to monitor during training, ensuring there are no sudden large increases in any of them: frequency of training, volume of training, intensity of training, and duration of training.
Hydration and Nutrition
While direct and specific nutrition and hydration prescription isn’t within a physiotherapist’s scope of practice, it does have flow-on effects into areas that are, and significant implications for a patient’s long-term success.
Given the high-intensity nature of Hyrox events and their training, it’s important to dedicate real attention to constructing and sticking to an optimal nutritional plan. Optimising both hydration and nutrition can have a significant impact on energy levels, rate of recovery and overall growth and adaptation.
The best approach to nutrition and hydration is to build a multi-disciplinary team, including both a physiotherapist and a sports nutritionist or dietitian. That way, you get appropriate expertise in both areas, and your clinicians can work together to ensure you’re getting the best plan possible.
If working with a dietitian or nutritionist isn’t feasible, there are reputable online resources that can provide general advice and assistance. Just be mindful of what you read, and ensure it’s supported by high-quality research and genuine industry professionals.
All the Rest
Sleep, load management, and hydration and nutrition are what we consider the “big rocks” of optimising recovery during Hyrox training and competition. No matter how many saunas, ice baths, recovery guns or massages you fit in, none of these smaller recovery strategies will ever outpace the significant, long-lasting benefits of the big rocks above.
Once the big rocks are sorted, it’s worth looking into some of the smaller recovery strategies that can give you that extra one percent. Just remember, these are helpful additions, not the be-all and end-all. Strategies include:
- Sauna
- Cold water immersion or hydrotherapy
- Massage therapy or massage gun
- Supplements
Summary
Hyrox is fast becoming one of the most highly participated fitness events in the world. As a result, physiotherapists are seeing a significant increase in Hyrox athletes coming through the door wanting to know more about training, injury prevention and recovery.
Recovery for Hyrox athletes should prioritise three key areas: sleep, load management, and nutrition and hydration. Without these three nailed first, other secondary recovery strategies will have limited benefit. Once they’re in place, strategies like sauna, cold water immersion, massage therapy and supplementation can help you gain that extra one percent.
Want to understand how these recovery strategies play out day to day? Read Hyrox Recovery Part 2, where we break down a simple framework for choosing the right recovery strategy based on how you’re actually feeling.
How BeFit Can Help
To help you understand sleep and load management better, and to be connected with a nutritionist or dietitian, come see the team at BeFit Training Physiotherapy at Edgecliff or Coogee.
Book an appointment at BeFit Training Physiotherapy — no referral needed.
Edgecliff: (02) 9327 7749 | Coogee: (02) 7205 2805
References
Fullagar HHK, Skorski S, Duffield R, et al. Sleep and Athletic Performance: The Effects of Sleep Loss on Exercise Performance, and Physiological and Cognitive Responses to Exercise. Sports Med. 2015;45(2):161-186.
Gabbett TJ. The Training-Injury Prevention Paradox: Should Athletes Be Training Smarter and Harder? Br J Sports Med. 2016;50(5):273-280.
Australian Physiotherapy Association. Clinical guidelines. physiotherapy.asn.au.
