Hybrid Athletes: Optimise Your Performance

• Hybrid Athlete
• Nutrition Hybrid Athlete
• Supplements Hybrid Athlete

I love to push my body to its limits. I find exhilarating and the endorphins are just next level! I love to prove that when I put my mind and body to it, I can do anything I want, even if it requires a lot of sweat and tears.

So when I was listening to a podcast the other day and came across this new breed of athletes— Hybrid Athletes, automatically I had to find everything out there. I searched the internet, and to my surprise, I fit into that category of athletes. Ok, okay, I’m no athlete, but I love pushing my body hard and pushing my limits.

Of course I couldn’t just let it be. I went in deep to find out what makes a hybrid athlete, I wanted to make sure I could be in that category. I didn’t want to be left behind, especially when I’m about to compete at Hyrox.

So let’s get down to what this new breed of athletes is.

What’s a Hybrid Athlete:

The geek bit: Unlike traditional athletes who focus solely on strength or endurance, hybrid athletes excel across multiple domains, balancing powerlifting with marathon running or combining CrossFit with triathlons. Hybrid athletes aim to achieve a high level of proficiency in various physical capacities, such as strength, endurance, power, speed, and agility.

What Makes a Hybrid Athlete:

• Training Balance and Adaptation: Hybrid athletes must balance their training between opposing goals.
• Versatility: Hybrid athletes are highly versatile and can perform well in a wide range of physical tasks.
• Physiological Challenges: Combining strength and endurance exercise puts unique stress on the body.
• Mental Fortitude: The hybrid athlete's path is mentally challenging because it requires a commitment to two often conflicting training styles.
• Recovery and Nutrition: Given the demands on their body, hybrid athletes need to prioritise recovery and nutrition more than most traditional athletes.
• 10 Components of Fitness: Hybrid athletes aim to develop competency across the 10 components of fitness: cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy.

Examples of Hybrid Sports:

• CrossFit: CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness program incorporating weightlifting, gymnastics, and metabolic conditioning elements. CrossFit athletes need to be both strong and have good endurance.
• HYROX:: HYROX is a fitness race that combines functional fitness and endurance running. Athletes complete a series of workouts, including wall balls, burpees, and rowing, followed by a 1-kilometer run.
• Obstacle Course Racing: Obstacle course races (OCRs) challenge athletes with various obstacles, such as walls, ropes, and mud pits, as well as running and climbing. Think Turf Games, Tough Mudder and so on.
• Triathlons: Triathlons combine swimming, cycling, and running. Triathletes need to be proficient in all three disciplines to be successful.

Hybrid Athletes Legends:

• Alex Viada: Alex Viada is a strength and endurance athlete who has competed in powerlifting and ultramarathons. He is known for his ability to balance strength and endurance training.
• Tia-Clair Toomey: Tia-Clair Toomey is a CrossFit Games champion and an Olympic weightlifter. She is an example of an athlete who excels in strength and endurance sports. And she most recently joined Hyrox.
• Nick Bare: Nick Bare is a fitness influencer and entrepreneur known for his hybrid training approach. He has competed in CrossFit and ultramarathons.

Nutrition for Hybrid Athletes:

Hybrid athletes have unique nutritional needs due to the demands of their training. They need to consume enough calories to support both strength and endurance training and enough protein to promote muscle growth and repair. They also need to ensure they are getting enough micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, to support their overall health.

Calorie Intake: Hybrid athletes need to consume enough calories to support their training volume and intensity.

Macronutrient Balance: Hybrid athletes need to consume a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Protein Intake: Hybrid athletes need to consume enough protein to support muscle growth and repair.

Carbohydrate Intake: Hybrid athletes need to consume enough carbohydrates to fuel their endurance training.

Micronutrient Intake: Hybrid athletes need to get enough vitamins and minerals to support their overall health.

Hydration: Hybrid athletes need to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day.

Nutrient Timing: Hybrid athletes may benefit from timing their nutrient intake around their workouts. For example, consuming a carbohydrate-rich meal a few hours before a workout can help provide energy, while consuming a protein-rich meal or snack within 30-60 minutes after a workout can help promote muscle recovery.

• Pre-training: 1-4 hours before training, consume a meal with 1-4 grams of carbohydrate per kilogram of body mass and 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass. The closer to training, the smaller the meal should be—Minimise fat and fibre intake, as these can cause sluggishness during training.
• Intra-training: During training lasting longer than an hour, consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrate per hour, along with electrolytes like sodium (200-300 mg) and potassium (50-100 mg).
• Post-training: Consume a meal or snack rich in protein and carbohydrates within 30-60 minutes after a workout to aid muscle recovery and replenish glycogen stores.

It is important to remember that individual needs vary; these are just general guidelines. Consulting with a registered dietitian or sports nutritionist can help personalise your nutrition plan.

Supplements for Hybrid Athletes

I would never swap food for supplements but when you are training so much to higher levels, certain supplements can support performance and recovery.

Here are a few of the most used supplements for hybrid athletes:

Protein

• How it works: protein provides the body with essential amino acids, the building blocks of muscle. It also helps to increase muscle protein synthesis, which builds new muscle tissue.
• Benefits for hybrid athletes: Whey protein can help hybrid athletes to build and repair muscle tissue, improve recovery from exercise, and increase strength.

Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)

• How it works: BCAAs stimulate muscle protein synthesis, which is the process of building new muscle tissue. They also help reduce muscle breakdown and fatigue, which can be particularly beneficial for hybrid athletes who engage in strength and endurance training.
• Benefits for hybrid athletes: BCAAs can help hybrid athletes to build and repair muscle tissue, improve recovery from exercise, and reduce muscle soreness.

Creatine

• How it works: Creatine increases the phosphocreatine stores in your muscles. This form of stored energy in the cells helps your body produce more of a high-energy molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is often called the body's energy currency. When you have more ATP, your body can perform better during exercise.
• Benefits for hybrid athletes: Creatine can help hybrid athletes to increase strength, power, and muscle mass. It can also improve recovery from exercise and reduce muscle damage.

Beta-Alanine

• How it works: Beta-alanine increases carnosine levels, reducing muscle acidity during high-intensity exercise. This lessens overall fatigue.
• Benefits for hybrid athletes: Beta-alanine can help hybrid athletes to improve endurance, increase time to exhaustion, and boost performance in high-intensity exercises.

Electrolytes

• How it works: Electrolytes help balance the amount of water in your body, balance your body's acid/base (pH) level, move nutrients into your cells, move wastes out of your cells, and keep your bones and teeth healthy.
• Benefits for hybrid athletes: Electrolytes can help hybrid athletes to stay hydrated, prevent muscle cramps, and improve endurance performance.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

• How it works: Omega-3 fatty acids are essential components of the membranes surrounding each cell in your body. Omega-3 fatty acids may improve vascular function by increasing nitric oxide production, which helps to relax blood vessels and improve blood flow.
• Benefits for hybrid athletes: Omega-3 fatty acids can help hybrid athletes to reduce inflammation, improve recovery from exercise, and support heart health.

Magnesium

• How it works: Magnesium is essential for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA.
• Benefits for hybrid athletes: Magnesium can help hybrid athletes to improve muscle function, reduce muscle soreness, and promote recovery from exercise.

Multivitamins

• How it works: Multivitamins provide various vitamins and minerals essential for the body to function properly.
• Benefits for hybrid athletes: Multivitamins can help ensure they get all the essential nutrients needed to support their training and recovery.

So if you are in this new category of athletes, you embrace the challenge of excelling in multiple athletic disciplines, demanding a unique blend of strength, endurance, and skill, you can call yourself a Hybrid Athlete.

Remember that your training requires a holistic approach that encompasses physical conditioning, mental fortitude, and a deep understanding of your body. Nutrition also plays a crucial role in supporting the demanding training schedules, and supplements can be a valuable tool to help meet your specific needs to optimise performance.

Prioritise a balanced diet rich in whole foods and incorporate high-quality supplements strategically. A well-rounded approach to training, nutrition, and recovery will ultimately empower you to reach your full potential and achieve your goals across various disciplines.