At Hyrox, athletes push themselves to their physical limits. It is precisely this that appeals to many Hyrox athletes, whilst others wonder just how risky this extreme physical exertion is. What is it that makes it so fascinating, and what should athletes be aware of?
Extremely gruelling, yet very much in vogue: the Hyrox fitness competition combines endurance with functional strength training: an eight-kilometre run, with a strength exercise after every kilometre. This includes pushing a sled weighted with weights and throwing a medicine ball against a wall 100 times.
The concept has been a global success. Tickets for competitions sell out in no time, and more and more gyms are offering Hyrox training.
The Hyrox trend on social media
The Hyrox trend has long since taken social media by storm. A video of a female athlete who suffered from diarrhoea during a Hyrox competition recently caused quite a stir there. Other videos show athletes pushing themselves to their physical limits during the competitions. "It's incredibly gruelling. Others would say: you're paying a fortune just to suffer for an hour or an hour and a half," says Julia Eberl from Munich, who has been taking part in Hyrox competitions for the past six months.
A competition ticket can cost over a hundred euros, and then there's the cost of travel and accommodation on top. But it's worth it, says Julia Eberl. Once you've started, you usually never stop, say many Hyrox athletes. Why do they voluntarily subject themselves to such strain?
"It just gives me so much to keep pushing myself," says Eberl. But for her and others, what makes Hyrox special is, above all, the sense of community, the mutual encouragement during competitions and helping each other out during training.
Heart rate at Hyrox: "At the very highest level"
As with other sports, it is important in Hyrox to know your own limits, says Florian Kristof, who regularly takes part in competitions. "If you push yourself beyond them, it's obviously always dangerous," he says.
This is because Hyrox places heavy demands on many parts of the body through its combination of endurance and strength training. "During competitions, the heart rate is often around 90 to 95 per cent of the individual's maximum heart rate. That means it's really at the very highest level," says Stefan Brunner, a cardiologist and sports medicine specialist at LMU Medical Centre in Munich. Whilst the high level of exertion is not a problem in the short term, he adds, a sufficient recovery period must be observed afterwards.
At competitions, Eberl says she often notices that participants overestimate their abilities. And those who compete in the doubles alongside a team-mate put more pressure on themselves, because they want to keep up with the other person and not let them down.
Proper preparation is crucial
In principle, Hyrox is suitable for anyone in good health, says Brunner. The key is to train properly. His advice: increase the intensity gradually. Content on social media can give the wrong impression. "What you don't see is the months – or in some cases years – of preparation leading up to the competition. But that is precisely what is important if you are to complete the competition without any problems and without suffering any overuse injuries." For example, injuries to muscles, joints or bones.
Warning signs such as chest tightness, unusual shortness of breath or dizziness must be taken very seriously. In such cases, the competition should be stopped and medical assistance sought. Eberl's team-mate experienced just such a situation during their first Hyrox together. He suffered circulatory problems due to the heat and had to withdraw from the competition.
Medical examination prior to intensive physical exertion
An incident at a Hyrox competition in Beijing also illustrates why athletes should take their body's warning signs seriously. The Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk finished the race despite suffering from acute diarrhoea. The organisers later apologised for not having intervened and tightened their rules. Wietrzyk also apologised, withdrew from the race retrospectively and declined the points she had received for her victory.
Such a reaction by the body, also known as 'runner's diarrhoea', is not uncommon in high-intensity endurance sports, says Dr Stefan Brunner. Because blood flow to the bowel is reduced, this can lead to gastrointestinal complaints.
Brunner recommends that people who subject themselves to intense physical exertion undergo a sports cardiology examination. This could help to identify any pre-existing conditions and thereby reduce risks, such as those associated with sudden cardiac death. Such examinations are compulsory at some endurance events in Italy.
An article written by Annika Karoline Schleithoff (BR), initially published on 27 September 2026, 11:41 (CEST)
