Are you looking to optimize your HYROX performance? There is strong scientific backing of using beetroot powder that supports its benefits for this type of demanding, hybrid event.
Here's how beetroot powder specifically helps you perform better in HYROX:
The Core Mechanism: Nitrates to Nitric Oxide (NO)
The magic of beetroot powder lies in its high concentration of dietary nitrates (NO3-). When you consume beetroot powder, a specific pathway in your body converts these nitrates into nitric oxide (NO). This conversion process is crucial:
- Oral Bacteria: First, bacteria on your tongue convert nitrates to nitrites (NO2-). This is why some advice suggests avoiding antibacterial mouthwash around the time you take beetroot powder, as it can kill these beneficial bacteria.
- Stomach Acid & Enzymes: The nitrites are then swallowed, absorbed, and further converted into NO in the blood and tissues, especially in conditions of low oxygen (which your muscles experience during intense exercise!).
How does Stamox Beetroot powder molecules translate to better HYROX performance?
1. Enhanced Oxygen Delivery & Efficiency (Crucial for Running & Sustained Efforts):
- Vasodilation:Nitric oxide is a potent vasodilator. It signals the smooth muscles surrounding your blood vessels to relax and widen. Think of it like turning a garden hose from a trickle to a powerful stream.
- Increased Blood Flow: This widening of blood vessels leads to significantly increased blood flow to your working muscles (legs, arms, core – all heavily used in HYROX) and vital organs, including your brain.
- More Oxygen & Nutrients: With more blood flowing, more oxygen and essential nutrients (like glucose) are delivered to your muscle cells. This is like constantly refilling the fuel tank of your muscles, delaying the onset of fatigue.
- Reduced Oxygen Cost of Exercise: This is a key benefit for endurance. Studies show that beetroot supplementation can reduce the amount of oxygen your body needs to perform at a given intensity. In HYROX, this means you can run a 1km segment at the same pace but feel less winded, or maintain a faster pace for the same perceived effort. This "economizing" of oxygen allows you to sustain high-intensity work for longer.
2. Improved Muscular Endurance and Power (Vital for Workouts like Sleds, Wall Balls, Burpees):
- Mitochondrial Efficiency:NO has been shown to improve the efficiency of your mitochondria (the "powerhouses" of your cells) in producing ATP, your body's energy currency.3This means your muscles can generate more energy with the same amount of oxygen, leading to more powerful and sustained contractions.
- Faster Muscle Contractions:Some research suggests NO can directly influence the mechanics of muscle contraction, potentially improving force production and reducing the depletion of phosphocreatine (an immediate energy source for short, intense bursts).4
- Buffering Lactic Acid:While blood flow directly helps remove metabolic byproducts like lactate, NO's overall impact on muscle efficiency can also contribute to a better buffering capacity, meaning your muscles can handle the acidic environment of intense exercise for longer before hitting failure.
- Increased Repetitions/Work Capacity: For movements like Wall Balls, Lunges, and Burpee Broad Jumps, the combined effect of better oxygen delivery, muscle efficiency, and waste removal means you can often complete more repetitions or maintain a higher pace before fatigue sets in.
3. Faster Recovery (Between Stations and After the Race):
- Reduced Muscle Soreness and Inflammation: Beetroot also contains betalains, powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. While the nitrate-NO pathway is primary for performance during exercise, these compounds can help reduce exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation, leading to quicker recovery between workout stations in a HYROX race and faster overall recovery after the event.
- Enhanced Waste Product Clearance: As mentioned, improved blood flow is key for flushing out metabolic waste products, which also aids in recovery.
4. Mental Focus and Resilience (Crucial for a Long, Taxing Race):
- Cerebral Blood Flow:The vasodilatory effects of NO extend to the brain. Increased blood flow to the brain can enhance cognitive function, improve reaction time, and maintain mental clarity and focus, especially when you're physically exhausted. In HYROX, this means you can better strategize, maintain technique, and push through mental barriers in the later stages of the race.
HYROX & Beetroot powder - How to Incorporate for HYROX:
- Timing is Key: For acute benefits, consume beetroot powder about 2-3 hours before your HYROX race or a key training session. This allows enough time for the nitrates to be converted to NO and reach peak levels in your bloodstream.
- Dosage: Aim for 1-2 tablespoons of Stamox, depending on your specific needs, and if you are competing. You can reach out to us for any specific requirements & we can assist in fine-tuning your needs.
- Chronic Loading (Optional but Beneficial): Some athletes "load" with beetroot powder for 3-7 days leading up to the race by taking a daily dose. This can help saturate your body's nitrate stores for sustained benefits.
- Avoid Mouthwash: As mentioned, avoid using antibacterial mouthwash or chewing gum shortly after consuming beetroot powder, as it can disrupt the initial nitrate-to-nitrite conversion by oral bacteria.
- Practice in Training: Crucially, never try a new supplement or dosage on race day. Always test your Stamox regimen during your training sessions to see how your body responds and ensure there are no unexpected digestive issues.
By optimizing your body's oxygen delivery, muscle efficiency, and recovery capabilities through increased nitric oxide, beetroot powder can give you a significant edge in the grueling world of HYROX.
Articles & References
HYROX & Beetroot powder: Hyrox Athlete who uses Stamox Beetroot Powder
Read Shannon Troup's Story - HYROX & Beetroot powder
Shannon Troup is a HYROX Athlete & Online Coach. Shannon is a IMMAF MEDALIST & IFMA MEDALIST and has been using Stamox consistently this spring. She will competing in the HYROX world championships in Chicago June 2025, powered by Stamox.
"Stamox beetroot extract powder helps towards my style of training especially competing at a high level such as world champs. Stamox helps with many of things, but one of them is oxygen supply, which ultimately helps boost endurance levels, with competing in HYROX. This is extremely important. Stamox is absolutely class I do feel the benefits major. I trained for 2 hours yesterday after I took it and was perfect. And the taste is great. So much better then the beetroot shots you can get." - Shannon Troup
Stamox is packed with benefits, enhancing endurance, oxygen utilization, power, and recovery - putting athelte Shannon in the best possible position for her daily training sessions, and upcoming HYROX world championships in Chicago June 2025
Benefits of Stamox Beet Powder on HYROX Athletes - Overview:
Improved Endurance: Beetroot extract is rich in nitrates, which your body converts to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps relax and widen blood vessels (vasodilation), leading to increased blood flow and oxygen delivery to your muscles. This can improve exercise efficiency and delay fatigue, crucial for the endurance demands of HYROX (running and sustained functional movements).
Enhanced Oxygen Utilization: By improving blood flow, beetroot extract may help your muscles use oxygen more efficiently. This can allow you to perform at higher intensities for longer periods, which is beneficial for both the running portions and the strength-based stations in HYROX.
Increased Power Output: Some research suggests that beetroot supplementation might improve power and performance during high-intensity exercise. This could be relevant for the strength components of HYROX, such as sled pushes, pulls, and wall balls.
Faster Recovery: The increased blood flow promoted by nitric oxide may also help with post-workout recovery by delivering nutrients and removing waste products from the muscles more effectively. Some studies suggest it can reduce muscle soreness.
Improved Muscle Contraction: Nitric oxide might also play a role in improving the release and use of cellular calcium, which is essential for muscle contraction speed. This could be beneficial for the dynamic movements in HYROX.
