Why Telling Athletes What To Do Doesn't Always Work (And What Does)

You've probably heard it before.

"You need to eat more."

"You should take a rest day."

"You're underfuelling."

The advice might be correct, but knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things.

As athletes, we're often surrounded by advice from coaches, teammates, social media and nutrition experts. But lasting change rarely happens because someone tells us what to do. It happens when we discover our own reasons for changing.

This is known as change talk.

What is change talk?

Change talk is the language we use when we're ready to move towards a healthier behaviour. Rather than focusing on what someone should do, it focuses on what they want to do.

It often sounds like:

Desire
"I want to stop feeling exhausted after every session."

Ability
"I could start taking a snack to training."

Reason
"Eating before I train would probably give me more energy."

Need
"I need to take recovery more seriously."

Commitment
"I'm going to eat breakfast before my morning runs this week."

Notice the difference?

These aren't someone else's instructions. They're the athlete's own words.

Why does it matter?

Research in behaviour change shows that people are much more likely to follow through when the motivation comes from within.

If someone says:

"You need to eat more carbohydrates."

You might agree... but never actually change.

If you say:

"I want more energy during my sessions, so I'm going to eat before I train."

You're far more likely to act on it.

The reason has become personal.

What does this look like in sport?

Instead of asking:

"What's wrong with my nutrition?"

Try asking yourself:

• What do I want my training to feel like?

• What's getting in the way of that?

• What's one small thing I could change this week?

• Why does that matter to me?

Maybe your answer is:

"I want to stop feeling drained by lunchtime."

Or:

"I want to recover quicker between sessions."

Or:

"I want to enjoy training again instead of dreading it."

These are powerful starting points because they're yours.

Small changes create lasting habits

Change doesn't have to mean overhauling everything overnight.

Sometimes it's simply:

• Eating breakfast before training.

• Packing a RED-Scue Energy Bar in your kit bag.

• Planning your recovery meal before you leave the house.

• Taking a scheduled rest day without feeling guilty.

Small actions repeated consistently are far more effective than chasing perfection.

At RED-Scue, we don't believe in telling athletes what they "should" do.

We believe in helping athletes understand their bodies, recognise what they need, and build habits they can actually sustain.

Because the best nutrition plan isn't the strictest one.

It's the one that fits your life, supports your training, and helps you keep showing up.

Ask yourself today:

Instead of asking, "What should I do?"

Try asking:

"What's one change I want to make that will help me feel stronger, healthier and enjoy my training more?"

Your answer might be the first step towards lasting change.

Fuel first. Perform stronger.