With HYROX making waves in India, including the Masters' Union HYROX Delhi event held from July 24 to 26 at Yashobhoomi, Dwarka, many first-time athletes are asking one question: Is just water enough, or do you need electrolytes? The answer depends on how long, how hard, and how much you sweat during the race. HYROX combines 8 km of running with eight functional workout stations, making it a prolonged, high-intensity event that places significant demands on hydration. What Is HYROX? HYROX is a global fitness racing competition that has become increasingly popular this year. Unlike obstacle races, the format of HYROX does not change, giving fitness enthusiasts a way to measure their progress outside the gym. The sport combines endurance running with functional strength exercises. Every HYROX event follows the same format, allowing participants to compare their times with other athletes worldwide. Participants are supposed to complete one km run and one workout station with eight repetitions. The workout stations include: 1,000 m SkiErg50 m Sled Push50 m Sled Pull80 m Burpee Broad Jumps1,000 m Row200 m Farmer's Carry100 m Sandbag Lunges75 or 100 Wall Balls (depending on division) Also read: Is 'Hyrox' Challenge Worth The Hype Or Just Another Fitness Trend?Regular Gym-Goers Vs HYROX Athletes: Who Really Needs Electrolytes? HealthandMe spoke to Dr Akshat Chadha, Lifestyle Medicine Specialist & General Physician, about the importance of electrolytes for physically active individuals. The expert also explains how HYROX athletes must approach electrolytes. Dr Chadha says, "Electrolytes have become a big market overnight. Electrolytes are important for someone who is participating in a marathon or a high-intensity event like HYROX. It's not important for someone who is just going to the gym or just going for a walk." Talking about natural electrolytes vs packaged electrolytes, the expert said that regular gym-goers or moderately active individuals don't require store-bought, packaged electrolytes that contain a long list of ingredients. He says, "Electrolytes is a very generic term. I am talking about packaged electrolytes. You don't really need any packaged electrolytes if you are not doing any high-intensity exercises or if you are not sweating a lot. Basically, you could go for natural electrolytes. If you get tired during a workout, you can take a bottle of water mixed with lemon, salt, and jaggery. That's one of the best natural electrolytes that you can sip during workouts or after workouts." Dr Chadha also spoke about the kind of electrolytes HYROX athletes should take in order to stay energised and hydrated after a strenuous session. He stresses upon checking the labels and ingredients to avoid buying unnecessarily "enhanced" electrolytes. He says, "But if someone is preparing for HYROX and wants to take packaged electrolytes, they should choose it carefully. They should look at the ingredients as there are a lot of unnecessary things added to packaged electrolytes to enhance them. Basic electrolytes are more than enough. So, if you need it, then please check the ingredients or talk to an expert before buying it. If someone is preparing for HYROX, they most likely must be under someone's training. So, ask your trainers which is the best electrolytes."