When the Fire Goes Out: My Experience With Burnout as an Athlete
- info434124
- Jul 17
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 18
I never thought I’d say this, but I hit a wall.
After more than six years of grinding-fighting ,professionally in MMA, Bareknuckle Boxing and Boxing, cutting weight, training through pain, pushing through exhaustion-I was scheduled to fight again in December last year. I was ready. Or at least, I thought I was...
Then I got injured.And instead of feeling frustration or eagerness to heal and get back in the ring…I felt nothing.No hunger. No drive. No interest in training. I didn’t want to fight. I didn’t even want to move.
At first, I thought I was just being lazy. But deep down, I knew this was something deeper.
💥 This Is Burnout-and It’s Real
As a pro fighter and health coach, I’ve pushed my body to its absolute limit. But what I’ve come to realise is that burnout isn’t weakness—it’s a message. It’s your body saying:
“I’ve carried you long enough. You’re going to listen now.”
Burnout shows up differently for everyone. For me, it looked like:
Zero motivation to train
Emotional flatness
Disrupted sleep
Brain fog
Deep resistance to anything that felt physically demanding
What I’ve learned is this: you can’t “discipline” your way out of burnout. You have to heal your way out of it.
🧠 Rebuilding from the Inside Out
I’ve spent the past few months working to heal-not just my injuries, but my nervous system, my hormones, and my relationship with movement. Here’s what I’ve been doing-and what I recommend to any athlete, fighter, or high-performer who's hit that wall:
🧬 1. Supporting My Nervous System
Years of high stress-from training, fighting, and life-had me stuck in “fight or flight.” I had to intentionally calm my nervous system.
What’s helped:
Morning sunlight + walks
Nasal breath-work
Unstructured movement (just walking, swimming, stretching)
Deep sleep routines
Magnesium glycinate at night
Swapping morning caffeine electrolytes
⚡ 2. Restoring My Cellular Energy
Burnout feels like fatigue in your bones-because your cells are depleted. I knew I had to nourish my mitochondria again.
What’s helped:
CreaBlast (Creapure Creatine) for brain and body energy
CoQ10 and Omega-3s
Magnesium and electrolytes throughout the day
🥩 3. Eating Like I’m Healing
Instead of dieting, restricting, or training for aesthetics, I started eating like someone who’s been through a war. Because I had.
I focused on:
Real protein (beef, chicken, eggs, sardines)
Gelatinous and collagen rich foods like bone broth
Slow carbs like sweet potato and squash
Zero processed sugar or fake “health” snacks
🥊 4. Moving Without Pressure
This was the hardest. As a fighter, I’m used to pushing. But right now, I only move if it feels good.Sometimes it’s mobility work. Sometimes its a solo weight session. Sometimes it’s just a walk with my daughter.
🔥 5. Checking in With My Fire
Am I fighting again? I don’t know.And for the first time, I’m okay not knowing.
What I do know is this:
I needed this pause
My body is grateful
My nervous system is healing
I’m reconnecting with the “why” behind the fight
And whether I step back into the cage or not—I know I’ll come out of this stronger. More whole. More in tune with what I want.
💛 If You’re Burnt Out Too…
You’re not broken. You’re not lazy. You’re not finished.You’re just tired-and tired people don’t need motivation.They need recovery. If you’re where I was, here’s where I suggest starting:
👇 The Burnout Recovery Stack
These are the exact supplements I’ve been using daily:
🧂 A+Salt Electrolytes – calm the nervous system and support hydration
⚡ CreaBlast – clean energy, strength, brain clarity
🥩 Body Bomb – collagen + creatine for fascia, joints, muscle repair
💊 Magnesium glycinate – essential for sleep and recovery
💥 Add CoQ10, Omega-3, and B-complex if you can
If you’re navigating this phase and not sure how to begin healing, you don’t have to do it alone.
Book a 1:1 consult with me. I’ll help you rebuild-body, brain, and identity.
And you, warrior, are strong enough to answer it.
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