Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

You are tired becase your “gas tanks” are on empty

18 Aug 2025 · 1 min

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In this segment, the speaker explains a performance‑enhancing metaphor that likens an athlete’s body to a car’s gas tank. He argues that to stay at peak performance throughout a long, roughly four‑hour competition, players must continuously “refuel” by taking regular pit‑stop‑style breaks. If they fail to do so, their energy stores deplete, leading to fading, poor play, and a feeling of under‑performing despite having the skill, conditioning, and endurance. The speaker emphasizes that performance drops are often due to an empty “gas tank” rather than a lack of talent, and urges athletes to monitor and replenish their energy throughout the day.

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The biggest thing is we want to keep this on full at all times when you guys are playing. That is how you maintain peak performance. This happens in our muscles all the time. You fill them up and then when you run your car or your body, it'll deplete and you'll get on empty, which is why we want to keep refilling, keep kind of taking pit stops throughout the 4-hour day, or else you're going to hit empty. And that's when you're fading. That's when you're not playing well. That's when you're getting beat off the dribble or when you're like, dude, like, what's going on? Like, I'm better than this and I'm playing like crap right now. That's what happens. It's not that you you guys don't have the skill or the endurance or the conditioning. Y'all are playing a lot. It's usually just because your gas tank's on empty.