HYROX Nashville 2026: race-morning sodium + creatine
For HYROX Nashville, December 9–13, 2026 at Music City Center, DO IT's advice is to plan fluid and sodium backwards from your assigned start, eat your usual salted meal, and keep creatine at your normal daily dose with no race-week loading. Waves run from 8:00 in the morning to the evening, so drink to arrive hydrated rather than full.[1–3]
There is no Nashville-specific sodium number. Your sweat losses, race duration and normal diet decide what you need. This guide covers fluid, sodium and creatine only, not a full carbohydrate plan. DO IT sells a creatine-electrolyte powder; you do not need it to follow anything below.
What the official Nashville page tells you
The official HYROX Nashville event page lists:[1]
- Dates: five race days, Wednesday December 9 through Sunday December 13, 2026.
- Venue: Music City Center, 201 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Nashville, TN 37203.
- Start times: a provisional schedule now; individual start times are linked about three days before the event. Start time changes are not permitted.
- Check-in: athletes can register on site starting 90 minutes before their assigned start time. Bring ID; you cannot check in for someone else.
- Fluids: the race package lists aid stations before, during and after the event.
The provisional schedule spreads divisions across the day. Wednesday and Thursday individual men start in the 8:00 block, for example, while individual women race from 15:40 and mixed doubles from 18:40. Saturday and Sunday blocks run longer. Treat this as planning information and check your own start when it is published.[1]
We have not verified hall temperature, course layout or exactly what the aid stations serve. Do not assume a cold December day means you will sweat less indoors.
Your timeline, anchored to your wave
These amounts come from the ACSM's 2007 position stand on exercise and fluid replacement. They are general adult guidance, not a HYROX-specific trial.[2] The example uses a 70 kg athlete; multiply by your own body weight.
| Time before your start | What to do | 70 kg example |
|---|---|---|
| At least 4 hours | If you need to prehydrate, slowly drink about 5–7 mL/kg with a normal meal that includes familiar salted food or a sodium-containing drink. | 350–490 mL over the meal, not in one go. |
| About 2 hours | Only if you have not passed urine, or it is dark, the ACSM suggests another 3–5 mL/kg slowly. Conditional, not automatic. | 210–350 mL, only if needed. |
| 90 minutes | Check-in opens for your wave. Have ID and your usual drink with you; queueing is not the moment to start a new product. | Keep sipping to thirst. |
| Final hour | Stick to what you have tolerated in training. No catch-up bottle. | No forced litre. |
| During the race | Use the aid stations and your rehearsed plan. Do not drink beyond your losses. | Pre-race amounts are not hourly race targets. |
| After finishing | Replace fluid and electrolytes with normal food and drinks. | A meal and drinks, not a second pre-race dose. |
At least 4 hours
- What to do
- If you need to prehydrate, slowly drink about 5–7 mL/kg with a normal meal that includes familiar salted food or a sodium-containing drink.
- 70 kg example
- 350–490 mL over the meal, not in one go.
About 2 hours
- What to do
- Only if you have not passed urine, or it is dark, the ACSM suggests another 3–5 mL/kg slowly. Conditional, not automatic.
- 70 kg example
- 210–350 mL, only if needed.
90 minutes
- What to do
- Check-in opens for your wave. Have ID and your usual drink with you; queueing is not the moment to start a new product.
- 70 kg example
- Keep sipping to thirst.
Final hour
- What to do
- Stick to what you have tolerated in training. No catch-up bottle.
- 70 kg example
- No forced litre.
During the race
- What to do
- Use the aid stations and your rehearsed plan. Do not drink beyond your losses.
- 70 kg example
- Pre-race amounts are not hourly race targets.
After finishing
- What to do
- Replace fluid and electrolytes with normal food and drinks.
- 70 kg example
- A meal and drinks, not a second pre-race dose.
If you start at 8:00, the four-hour point is around 4:00. Many athletes will not want a full meal then. Drinking and eating at a time you have never tried in training is a bigger risk than a slightly smaller pre-race drink. Rehearse an early breakfast before December, or settle on a smaller familiar meal you know sits well.
If you start in the afternoon or evening, the risk flips. You have all day to overdo it. Eat your normal meals, drink to thirst, and run the timeline from your actual wave. Do not start "hydrating" at breakfast for an 18:40 start.
How much sodium before Nashville?
There is no verified Nashville-specific milligram target. Start with a familiar meal and drink routine. The ACSM notes that sodium-containing drinks or salted snacks and meals can help you retain fluid before exercise. That does not mean everyone needs a salt tablet or 1,000 mg of supplemental sodium at the start line.[2]
Sweat rate and sweat sodium concentration vary a lot between people. If you have measured high losses, plan with a sports dietitian instead of copying someone else's dose. Count sodium from every source: breakfast, electrolyte drinks, gels and tablets. Our HYROX sodium guide walks through the sweat-rate calculation.
Do not try to "bank" fluid. Overdrinking can dilute blood sodium, and adding electrolytes to too much water does not make it safe.[2]
Creatine: no race-week catch-up
The Australian Institute of Sport describes 3–5 g of creatine monohydrate daily, without loading, as a way to raise muscle creatine gradually, reaching saturation over about four weeks. Loading is an option, not a requirement.[3]
- Already taking it? Keep your normal dose and timing. Nothing in this guide calls for an extra race-morning scoop.
- Not taking it? Starting now gives you about four weeks before Nashville on the no-loading approach. A first dose in race week or on race morning will not do the same job.
- Thinking about loading in race week? Skip it. The AIS notes possible body-mass gain and stomach upset, and recommends trying supplements in the off-season, not before a race.[3]
Creatine does not tell you anything about your sodium or fluid needs. Plan them separately.
Where DO IT fits, and where it does not
Per the DO IT product facts, one scoop has 5 g creatine monohydrate, 1,000 mg sodium, 200 mg potassium and 60 mg magnesium, no caffeine. Directions: one scoop once a day, no loading phase.[4]
That is a product label, not a sodium recommendation for every Nashville athlete. If you already use it, count its 1,000 mg with the rest of your day. Do not take extra scoops to load creatine or to chase sweat losses. A plain creatine product plus your own food and drinks lets you adjust creatine and sodium independently. Follow the label and do not exceed the dose.
If you have been told to limit sodium, or you have kidney, heart or blood-pressure concerns, get an individual plan from your clinician instead of using these general amounts.
Before you travel
Run your target time through the free HYROX Nashville split calculator. When your start time appears about three days out, put four things in one note: wave time, the time check-in opens (90 minutes earlier), your meal time, and your drink plan. Recheck the official event page before you leave.
FAQ
When and where is HYROX Nashville 2026?
The official HYROX Nashville page lists December 9–13, 2026 at Music City Center, 201 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Nashville. Individual start times are linked about three days before the event and cannot be changed.[1]
How much sodium do I need on HYROX Nashville race morning?
There is no single Nashville-specific dose. A familiar salted meal or sodium-containing drink can support pre-race hydration. Count every source and your own sweat losses rather than automatically adding 1,000 mg.[2]
How should I time fluids for an early 8:00 wave?
The ACSM's starting point is 5–7 mL/kg at least four hours before exercise when prehydration is needed, which means around 4:00 for an 8:00 start. If that is unrealistic, rehearse an early or smaller familiar meal in training instead of trying something new on race day.[2]
When does check-in open at HYROX Nashville?
The official page says athletes can register on site from 90 minutes before their assigned start time and must bring ID.[1]
Should I load creatine before HYROX Nashville?
You do not need to. The AIS describes 3–5 g daily without loading, raising muscle creatine over about four weeks. Race week is not the time to test a new supplement routine.[3]
Do I need DO IT Creatine Hydration to follow this plan?
No. Familiar food and drinks supply sodium, and creatine can be taken separately. DO IT combines 5 g creatine and 1,000 mg sodium per scoop; that does not make one scoop the right sodium dose for everyone.[4]
Sources
Checked November 10, 2026. Event and product details can change. The ACSM position stand is from 2007; its general exercise guidance is not new research specific to Nashville or HYROX.
- HYROX. HYROX Nashville: official event page. Dates, venue, provisional schedule, start-time and check-in rules, race package aid stations. Accessed November 10, 2026.
- Sawka MN et al. Exercise and fluid replacement. ACSM position stand. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39(2):377–390. DOI, especially "Before Exercise" and "During Exercise."
- Australian Institute of Sport / Australian Sports Commission. Creatine. No publication date displayed; accessed November 10, 2026. Dosing, time to saturation, supplement considerations.
- DO IT. Creatine Hydration product facts. Label composition and directions, accessed November 10, 2026.
Unofficial guide. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to HYROX. General information for adults, not individualized medical or coaching advice. DO IT sells the supplement mentioned above; purchase is not required.