HYROX, Hybrid Athletes and the Nutrition Mistakes Costing You the Race – With Dr Kelsie Johnson

Thinking about adding HYROX to your training? Or already racing and wondering why your nutrition isn't translating into performance? Dr Kelsie Johnson is a nutrition and performance coach who works with hybrid athletes: people combining serious strength work with endurance sport. With a PhD in nutrition and muscle mass, experience as an S&C coach at Aston Villa Women's, and a background in triathlon and HYROX herself, Kelsie brings both the science and the real-world application. In this episode we dig into what hybrid training actually looks like in practice, why carbohydrate periodisation is the biggest gap she sees in athletes, how to fuel for a HYROX race depending on your start time, and why doing both triathlon and HYROX in the same block is a recipe for burnout. If you've been guessing with your nutrition and hoping for the best — this one's for you. 5 KEY POINTS Don't run HYROX and triathlon simultaneously — use HYROX as your off-season focus instead. Carbs, not protein, are the missing link — most athletes have protein nailed but aren't periodizing their carbohydrate intake around session demands. HYROX is 60–70% running at high intensity — fuelling during the race is non-negotiable, even if it only lasts 60 minutes. The interference effect is real — strength and endurance adaptations compete, so session sequencing matters. Race start times vary wildly — practise your fuelling strategy for different scenarios long before race week. 3 TAKEAWAYS Match your carbs to the session — fuel for the work you're actually doing, not out of habit. Rehearse race day nutrition in training — know your timing, your meals and how you'll carry fuel during the race. A healthy athlete is a fast athlete — under-fuelling is one of the fastest routes to injury and inconsistency. KILLER QUOTE 👉 "If you're putting this much time, effort and money into your training — get the nutrition right. The improvement you'll see is going to be second to none."   CONNECT with Kelsie Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kelsiejohnson_/ https://www.instagram.com/nxpcoaching/ LINKS & RESOURCES Mentioned in the episode: Carbohydrate periodisation  Fuel for the work required ⁠Interference Effect https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5407958/ ⁠Females and underfueling: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/23/3773 Kelsie’s favourite book : There Is No Wall - Allie Bailey   FREE Download👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇 A simple checklist to see if you’re actually on track 3–6 months out. Ironman Sanity Checklist   Want help building durable training? Inside the SWAT Inner Circle you’ll find structured training plans, strength programmes and regular coaching insights designed to help endurance athletes train consistently without breaking down. £30 per month. CLICK HERE TO START YOUR MISSION   Connect with me HERE: https://linktr.ee/simonward You can find links for the following channels - Website, Facebook, podcast, Instagram, YouTube   Email: [email protected] Sign up for Simon’s weekly newsletter Download Simon’s Free ‘Battle Ready Lifestyle’ Infographic — https://simon-ward.kit.com/battlereadylifestyle 💬 Got an awkward question for Simon? Send it to [email protected] and you might just hear it on a future episode!