Peeing During HYROX
Updated: Sep 17
Peeing during HYROX can happen when the pelvic floor has difficulty managing the repeated impact, muscle fatigue, and increases in intra-abdominal pressure that occur throughout a race. Bladder leaks are not always a sign of pelvic floor weakness and can also be influenced by coordination, pressure management, and positioning.
Strategies such as improving pelvic floor relaxation and coordination, adjusting breathing and bracing, modifying body position, and maintaining good bladder habits may help support bladder control during training and racing. Practicing these strategies during training can help athletes determine what works before race day.
HYROX Athlete Physical Therapy combines HYROX-specific care with pelvic floor expertise to identify and address what's contributing to bladder leaks within an athlete's existing training program.
How HYROX Can Contribute to Bladder Leaks
If you already experience leaking while running, seeing the 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) of running during a HYROX race might worry you about keeping your pants dry during the race.
But running isn’t the only part of a HYROX race that can contribute to bladder leaks.
Repetitive jumping from burpee broad jumps and higher-effort movements like the sled push can also put more strain on your pelvic floor. Increased muscle fatigue as you get further into the race can also play a role.
So if you’d like to make it through a HYROX race without worrying about leaking, you’ll need to prepare your pelvic floor for the different demands you’ll put on it throughout the race.
The Role of Your Pelvic Floor
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that help support your pelvic organs and maintain bladder control. While you are able to contract your pelvic floor muscles voluntarily, they primarily work reflexively by automatically contracting when they’re needed and relaxing when they’re not.
When it comes to maintaining bladder control, leaks can happen if the pelvic floor isn’t working as well as it should. This is often associated with having a weak pelvic floor, but it isn’t the only reason why you might experience leaking while exercising.
Muscle fatigue, poor coordination (when the muscles don’t contract or relax when they should), and too much pressure being put on the pelvic floor are other factors that can contribute to leaking.
What Can Contribute to Peeing During HYROX
The three main contributors to leaking during a HYROX race or training are high-impact activities, increased intra-abdominal pressure from heavier movements, and increased intra-abdominal pressure from body positioning.
High-impact activities, like the run and burpee broad jumps, can contribute to peeing during HYROX by fatiguing the pelvic floor. The repetitive impact can also make poor pelvic floor coordination more noticeable if it isn’t contracting when it needs to.
Increased intra-abdominal pressure can also contribute to leaking if your pelvic floor isn’t able to manage the pressure being placed on it.
Intra-abdominal pressure is the pressure within your abdomen that naturally increases when you brace or exert force, such as when pushing heavy sleds. Normally, your abdominal and back muscles, diaphragm, and pelvic floor work together to manage this pressure. This is commonly referred to as the “core canister”.
But if more of that pressure is directed downward than your pelvic floor can manage during activities that require more effort, it can contribute to leaking. Body positioning, such as by bending forward at the waist, can also increase the demand placed on the pelvic floor by changing the shape of the core canister.
Ways to Support Bladder Control During HYROX
You may have heard that doing Kegels (pelvic floor contractions) to strengthen your pelvic floor is the only way to stop bladder leaks from happening. But that’s assuming pelvic floor weakness is the only reason why leaking happens, which is not true. Additionally, trying to hold a Kegel throughout an entire HYROX race isn’t realistic and can lead to your pelvic floor getting tired faster.
For many athletes, pelvic floor strength is probably not their primary issue. They may need more help with coordination, especially the ability to relax the pelvic floor. In order for the pelvic floor to contract when it needs to, it first needs to be able to relax. And being able to relax when a contraction isn’t needed can also help prevent the pelvic floor from fatiguing too quickly.
Pressure management is also important. Practicing breathing and bracing strategies that allow you to produce the force you need without unnecessarily directing pressure downward may help reduce leaking. And if you notice that you leak more in certain positions, adjusting your position may change how you manage pressure during that movement. An example is focusing on hinging from the hips instead of bending at the waist during burpees.
Good bladder hygiene can also help support bladder control during training and racing. Make sure to drink plenty of plain water to help reduce the concentration of potential bladder irritants that can trigger the urge to pee. And FYI, concentrated urine is also a bladder irritant, so purposefully dehydrating yourself to produce less urine can actually backfire. Also, try to reduce “just in case” bathroom trips throughout your day, as this can train your bladder to want to empty before it’s actually full.
Practice these strategies during training so you can figure out what works for you and become comfortable with it before race day. That way, you aren’t trying to implement something new during your race.
HYROX Athlete Physical Therapy in Nevada
If you’re training for HYROX and dealing with bladder leaks, you don’t have to figure out how to address them on your own. I specialize in remote physical therapy for HYROX athletes, including pelvic floor issues like leaking during exercise, and can help you figure out what’s contributing to your leaking and how to address it within your current training.
If you’re located in Nevada, schedule a Virtual Movement Assessment below to get started.
Want more tips like this?
Join my bimonthly email newsletter for practical advice on managing injuries, training around pain, and staying active while working towards your performance goals.
