Nutritional Knowledge and Characteristics of HYROX Athletes (NU-KCHA)
April 13, 2026 updated by: Jose Miguel Martinez Sanz, University of Alicante
Nutritional Knowledge and Characteristics of HYROX Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study
This is an observational study aiming to assess the nutritional knowledge, dietary habits, supplement use, body composition, and physiological profiles of HYROX athletes.
The main objective is to describe and evaluate the nutritional, anthropometric, and performance-related characteristics of these athletes to better understand factors influencing race performance.
The main question it seeks to answer is: What are the nutritional, kinanthropometric, and physiological profiles of HYROX athletes, and how are dietary practices, supplement use, and body composition associated with their performance?
Study Overview
Status
Recruiting
Detailed Description
HYROX athletes represent a unique cohort characterized by specific nutritional, physiological, and multi-modal performance demands, including body composition, strength, and endurance. Despite the global growth of hybrid fitness competitions, empirical evidence regarding the dietary practices, nutritional knowledge, and body composition of these athletes remains limited. This study addresses this gap through a comprehensive cross-sectional assessment of competitive HYROX athletes.
Data were collected using validated online questionnaires, including a Short Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFFQ) to evaluate dietary intake, a 20-item supplement use questionnaire assessing consumption patterns, beliefs, and knowledge, and the Abbreviated Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (A-NSKQ) to measure nutritional knowledge. Eating behaviors and potential disordered eating were screened using the EAT-26 and the Figure Rating Scale (FRS). This structured protocol enables a detailed characterization of dietary habits, supplementation practices, nutritional knowledge, and body composition among HYROX athletes. By synthesizing these metrics, the study establishes a foundational characterization of the hybrid athlete, identifying physiological risks and providing the evidence-based framework necessary to optimize competitive performance
Study Type
Observational
Enrollment (Estimated)
122
Contacts and Locations
This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.
Study Contact
- Name: Jose Miguel Martinez Sanz, Dr
- Phone Number: +34 620420726
- Email: josemiguel.ms@ua.es
Study Contact Backup
- Name: Nidia Rodriguez-Sanchez, Dr
- Phone Number: +44 (0)1786 466098
- Email: nidia.rodriguezsanchez@stir.ac.uk
Study Locations
-
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Alicante
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Alicante, Alicante, Spain, 03690
- Recruiting
- Faculty of Health Sciences. University of Alicante
-
Contact:
- Martinez Sanz, Dr
- Phone Number: +34 620420726
- Email: josemiguel.ms@ua.es
-
-
Participation Criteria
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Eligibility Criteria
Ages Eligible for Study
- Adult
- Older Adult
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Sampling Method
Non-Probability Sample
Study Population
HYROX athletes
Description
Inclusion Criteria:
- competitive HYROX athletes
- age 18 or older
- having participated in at least one official HYROX competition in the past 24 months
Exclusion Criteria:
- Participants not included in the Pro or Open categories were excluded
Study Plan
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
How is the study designed?
Design Details
Cohorts and Interventions
Group / Cohort |
|---|
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Male athletes
Competitive male athletes
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Female athletes
Competitive female athletes
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What is the study measuring?
Primary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Dietary intake
Time Frame: 5 years
|
A validated Short Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFFQ) will be used to assess dietary quality.
The questionnaire consists of 20 items covering key food groups, including fruits, vegetables, high-fiber foods, high-fat and sugary foods, meat and meat products, and fish.
Participants are asked to report the frequency of foods and beverages consumed during a "typical week" over the past month.
Response options range from "rarely or never" to "more than five times per day."
The final score will be calculated based on the extent to which participants meet the UK dietary recommendations.
|
5 years
|
Secondary Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Body composition
Time Frame: 5 years
|
Assess body composition by anthropometry to estimate muscle mass and fat mass
|
5 years
|
Other Outcome Measures
Outcome Measure |
Measure Description |
Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
|
Eating behaviours disorders
Time Frame: 5 years
|
Information on eating disorders will be collected using the EAT-26 test and the Figure Rating Scale (FRS).
The EAT-26 comprises three subscales: Diet, Bulimia, and Oral Control, with responses on a 5-point Likert scale from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).
It also includes five questions related to disordered eating behaviors to identify athletes at risk, with a score of 20 or more suggesting possible eating disorders.
The FRS is a visual tool assessing body image and perceived body size, with nine male and nine female figures ranging from very thin (1) to overweight (9).
|
5 years
|
|
Nutritional Knowledge
Time Frame: 5 years
|
Nutritional knowledge will be assessed with the Abbreviated Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (A-NSKQ), divided into two subsections: the first with 17 items on general nutrition knowledge, and the second with 20 items focused on athletes' knowledge about macronutrient and fluid requirements, weight loss and gain strategies, and dietary supplements.
Each correct answer is awarded +1 point, while each incorrect answer is assigned -1 point.
The maximum possible score is 59 points, and the minimum possible score (all answers incorrect) is -59 points.
The questionnaire is divided into four sections: Macronutrients: 29 points (equivalent to 49.1 on a 0-100 scale), micronutrients: 19 points (32.2 on a 0-100 scale), hydration: 8 points (13.6 on a 0-100 scale) and periodization: 3 points (5.1 on a 0-100 scale).
|
5 years
|
Collaborators and Investigators
This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.
Sponsor
Collaborators
Publications and helpful links
The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.
General Publications
- Kong P, Harris LM. The sporting body: body image and eating disorder symptomatology among female athletes from leanness focused and nonleanness focused sports. J Psychol. 2015 Jan-Apr;149(1-2):141-60. doi: 10.1080/00223980.2013.846291. Epub 2014 Mar 4.
- Trakman GL, Forsyth A, Hoye R, Belski R. Development and validation of a brief general and sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire and assessment of athletes' nutrition knowledge. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Apr 19;15:17. doi: 10.1186/s12970-018-0223-1. eCollection 2018.
- Jovanov P, Dordic V, Obradovic B, Barak O, Pezo L, Maric A, Sakac M. Prevalence, knowledge and attitudes towards using sports supplements among young athletes. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2019 Jul 4;16(1):27. doi: 10.1186/s12970-019-0294-7.
- Lafontant K, Livingston J, Smith S, Da Silva Barbera MA, Gonzalez C, Kampiyil S, Nguyen NLN, Johnson B, Stout JR, Fukuda DH. Describing Dietary Habits and Body Composition Among High-Intensity Functional Training Athletes: A Mixed Methods Approach. Sports (Basel). 2025 Oct 2;13(10):340. doi: 10.3390/sports13100340.
- Cavedon V, Milanese C, Marchi A, Zancanaro C. Different amount of training affects body composition and performance in High-Intensity Functional Training participants. PLoS One. 2020 Aug 20;15(8):e0237887. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237887. eCollection 2020.
- Adami PE, Rocchi JE, Melke N, De Vito G, Bernardi M, Macaluso A. Physiological profile comparison between high intensity functional training, endurance and power athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2022 Feb;122(2):531-539. doi: 10.1007/s00421-021-04858-3. Epub 2021 Dec 1.
Study record dates
These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.
Study Major Dates
Study Start (Actual)
September 25, 2025
Primary Completion (Estimated)
January 8, 2027
Study Completion (Estimated)
June 28, 2031
Study Registration Dates
First Submitted
March 23, 2026
First Submitted That Met QC Criteria
April 13, 2026
First Posted (Actual)
April 15, 2026
Study Record Updates
Last Update Posted (Actual)
April 15, 2026
Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria
April 13, 2026
Last Verified
March 1, 2026
More Information
Terms related to this study
Other Study ID Numbers
- UA-2025-07-14
Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)
Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?
NO
IPD Plan Description
The data are available from the authors on request from the IP JMMS (josemiguel.ms@ua.es).
Drug and device information, study documents
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product
No
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