The Supplements I won’t train and race HYROX without

I have become a better HYROX athlete through sports nutrition.

It’s a fact. 

The sports nutrition research and product development have been really exciting over the past few years

But, as always in this space, there are a lot of products that do nothing. 

Sports nutrition has long been the Wild West.

Luckily for you, I’m kind of like a Wyatt Earp–type character.

But really...

....I’ve been a brand partner with TheFeed.Com (an online marketplace for sports nutrition) for the past 12 months.

The Feed only offers trusted, high-quality sports nutrition products and resources that I have personally tested. And I tested a lot while training for HYROX majors and world championships.  

In this article, I will share my favorite products to help you improve in racing, training, recovery, and HYROX.

Get 40% off your first order of any size up to $125 with this link.
https://thefeed.com/rich

**Through the end of Janurary 2026 Thefeed is running a promo where you can get 40% off of your first order of any size up to $125 (basically $50 for free)**


YOU MUST USE THIS LINK

Get 40% off your first order of any size up to $125 with this link.
https://thefeed.com/rich


Gels for Racing

Enervit Liquid Gel

This has become my favorite gel for really hard HYROX workouts and races. It’s basically liquid, and you can take it down in one swallow. It’s an easy twist-open, so you can’t rip it wrong and create all sorts of messes.

Thirty grams of carbs is on the higher end, which is great to experiment with, and the ease of use is the main thing that makes this helpful. I also like the orange flavor.

Get 40% off your first order of any size up to $125 with this link.
https://thefeed.com/rich


Amacx Drink Gel

Similar to Enervit in viscosity and ease of drinking. The pouch is a bit longer, which makes it slightly less convenient in my opinion, and the rip tab works well enough, but it’s harder to take in with one squeeze.

The taste is probably better than Enervit—the raspberry flavor tastes like snow cone juice, so it’s not only great for energy but also for nostalgia.


Gels for Training

BPN Go Gel

This is my go-to gel for training. It tastes great, is small and easy to bring around, and tastes like real food, which is nice.


High-Carb Gels Worth Trying

There is a whole lineup of high-carb gels on the market that could be a game-changer. With these, you need to train your gut to handle the higher dose—but if you do, you could have energy for days.

I’ve just started playing with these in training, and so far, so good. The consistency is more gel-like than liquid, which is less than ideal in my opinion, but it can still work.

  • Enervit C2:1 Pro Carbo Gel

  • Amacx Turbo Gel

  • SIS Beta Fuel Gel


Powdered Carb Drinks

Powdered carb drinks are great for training and are, honestly, optimal for HYROX because you can take them a bit at a time and not worry about gut issues or feeling like you’re going to choke on a gel.

The downside is that you’ll need to carry a water bottle or soft flask for the duration of the race. Not a deal breaker, but I personally don’t like running with anything on my waist or chest, so I don’t use these for races—but I use them a lot in training.

  • BPN G1M Sport

  • Maurten Drink Mix

  • SIS Beta Fuel Drink Mix

  • Tailwind

Get 40% off your first order of any size up to $125 with this link.
https://thefeed.com/rich


Performance Supplements for Race Day

Maurten Bi-Carb

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) has been proven for a long time to help buffer lactic acid byproduct. The problem has always been the dosage causing gut issues—until Maurten figured out how to determine dosage based on bodyweight and encapsulate it in a gel to make it easier on your stomach.

This stuff actually works at reducing fatigue. That said, it’s still pretty hard on the gut, so it’s risky and doesn’t feel awesome. It’s not for everyone. But if you can stomach it, it will make the sled push easier.

Nomio

Nomio has been studied and tested and shows that it actually reduces the amount of lactic acid you produce. The idea is that it delays the time when you “pop” from lactic acid buildup, which is pretty cool.

It’s much gentler than bi-carb, but that also makes it harder to really know if it’s working. I use it, and I smash workouts. It also does different things than bi-carb, so they can be stacked—and I do stack them.

Swiss RX Nitric Oxide Pro

Nitric oxide (NO) dilates arteries and increases blood flow to working muscles, which, in theory, helps move the lactate byproduct out of your system faster.

I take this on quality days because there are no stomach side effects (unlike bi-carb), and it has the potential to boost performance.


Recovery

Ketone IQ

There have been many studies showing that exogenous ketone esters can help reduce compounding fatigue when taken post-workout. The problem is that the effective dosage is high, and traditional ketone esters are insanely expensive.

Ketone IQ is not a full ester, so the evidence isn’t as conclusive—but I think it works. I take it post-workout and sometimes pre-workout or pre-race. I have theories for how it works, but they’re just theories.

If you haven’t tried it, it’s worth a shot. At the very least, it provides a cognitive benefit after hard workouts so you’re not in zombie mode all day.

Swiss RX Synthesis

This proprietary plant-based peptide increases the efficiency with which your body uses protein for muscle protein synthesis, which supports recovery and muscle building.

The amount of volume we do for HYROX puts us at risk of losing muscle. This adds some insurance to make sure the protein you’re eating is doing everything it can to support recovery.


Speaking of Protein

BPN Whey

Whey protein supplements are really just food made easier. I wouldn’t call them performance-enhancing, but I do consider them essential.

I supplement with protein powder 2–3 times per day to make sure I’m hitting my protein targets, which helps recovery and keeps body composition in check (look good — HYROX good, you know?).

I think BPN has the best-tasting protein on the market. Chocolate reigns supreme.


Sleep

Dream Shot – Formulas

Dream Shot is the most all-encompassing sleep support supplement I’ve found. What I want in a sleep supplement is magnesium and L-theanine, and I don’t want melatonin for daily use.

Dream Shot hits those markers and adds tart cherry juice to reduce inflammation, a proprietary sleep-support plant peptide, and ashwagandha. It tastes awesome and is low liquid, which I personally look for in a sleep supplement.

Peak Sleep – BPN

Peak Sleep also checks the boxes with magnesium and L-theanine and adds GABA for gut support. I’ve found my sleep metrics look just as strong as they do with Dream Shot.

The gummies are a zero-liquid option and a nice little nighttime snack.


Hydration

There really is no wrong answer when it comes to electrolytes, but here’s what I like.

LMNT

LMNT made salt cool again. It’s salty—very salty—so it can be an acquired taste, but one I find myself craving. One packet has 1,000 mg of sodium, which packs a punch, along with other essential electrolytes like magnesium and potassium. Grapefruit is the flavor.

BPN Electrolytes

Mango is the move across BPN products.

Mortal Hydration / The Feed Lab Hydration

These are the same product—one is single-serve, and the other is a pouch where you can customize dosage. I prefer the pouch to reduce waste but keep single-serve packets for travel.

Mortal Hydration adds a touch of sugar, which helps increase hydration at the cellular level and improves flavor. You can get packets with 500 mg of sodium or a saltier version closer to 900 mg.


Essentials

Creatine

If you’re not taking creatine, you are missing out on gains. You just are. It’s the most studied supplement in the world and is proven to help reload ATP so you can produce high efforts for longer. There’s also emerging research showing higher dosages may help brain function. Plus, it’s dirt cheap.

I take BPN Creatine.

P.S. The “water weight” thing people talk about is a misnomer. If anything, creatine pulling water into cells helps hydration.

Beta Alanine

Second only to creatine, beta alanine has been proven to work. It provides a lactate-buffering effect at the muscular level and can help with high-end efforts.

In HYROX, our effort undulates more than in running or cycling, where beta alanine would only make sense for shorter events. This can help make the sleds and ski feel a bit easier since you’re putting out high effort early in the race. You should take this.

I take Raw Nutrition.

Get 40% off your first order of any size up to $125 with this link.
https://thefeed.com/rich

P.S. There’s a weird sensation called paresthesia that comes with beta alanine—it feels like intense skin tingling (sometimes in the face). It can be uncomfortable, especially during the loading phase. You will experience this early on.

I hope this can make things clearer for you moving forward.

Reminder

**Through the end of Janurary 2026 Thefeed is running a promo where you can get 40% off of your first order with This Link. Orders of any size up to $125 (basically $50 for free)**

Get 40% off your first order of any size up to $125 with this link.
https://thefeed.com/rich

Previous
Previous

HYROX Season Reflection: Looking Back to Move Forward

Next
Next

Mastering the ERGs for HYROX: The SkiErg & RowErg Guide Every Athlete Needs (ft. James Hall)