Physiological Responses and Determinants of Hyrox© Performance2

Evaluation of recreational athletes during a simulated Hyrox© competition demonstrated high physiological strain, with maximum heart rate reaching 185 bpm, blood lactate rising to 8.5 mmol/L, and perceived exertion scoring 18. Athletes spent over 60% of the completion time running, yet exercise stations induced significantly higher heart rate, lactate accumulation, and perceived exertion than running segments. Faster overall completion times correlated strongly with higher maximum oxygen consumption, greater weekly endurance training volume, and lower body fat percentage. Measures of hand grip strength and muscle mass showed no significant association with total performance.

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