You didn’t come to college to ride the bench or nurse a stress fracture. Yet half the roster is stuck in neutral because of silent killers hiding in plain sight. Here are the 7 red flags most athletes ignore-until the stat sheet or the trainer’s table forces a wake-up call.
1. Running on Empty Before 10 a.m.
“I’ll eat at the dining hall later…” By then your glycogen is already in the red. Reaction time drops, lifts stall.
Fix:
90-second breakfast-¾ cup oats + 1 scoop SIXSTAR 100% Whey Protein+ + frozen berries. Microwave. 600 kcal, 40g protein. Eat while walking to class.
2. Confusing “Grind” with “No Brakes”
Daily two-a-days without a deload = cortisol spike, immune crash, injury lottery.
Fix:
1 zero-lift day + 1 mobility-only session
SIXSTAR Creatine X3 → boosts recovery
9 hrs sleep tracked on Apple Watch
3. Ditching Iron Once Games Start
Lose 5–8% strength in 4 weeks without maintenance lifts.
Fix:
45-min in-season circuit 2x/week (trap bar DL, push press, pull-ups)
SIXSTAR Pre-Workout Explosion 2.0 → more energy, more strength, better game performance.
4. Chasing Viral Drills Over Boring Mastery
Instagram agility ladders look cool. Perfect hip mechanics win games.
Fix:
10 min daily: A-skips, bounding, arm drive
Log form cues in Hudl notes
SIXSTAR 100% Creatine (5g) → proven gains in 6 weeks
5. Treating Sleep Like a Luxury
6 hrs = –18% decision accuracy in competition (Sleep Journal).
Fix:
10:15 p.m. phone in another room
SIXSTAR 100% Whey Protein+ + ½ cup cottage cheese pre-bed → slow-release protein delivers protein synthesis/musclebuilding while you sleep
6. Hydration = Whatever’s in the Cooler
2% bodyweight dehydration = –10% power output.
Fix:
20 oz water upon waking + pinch salt
Refill 32 oz bottle 3x/day
Hydrated muscles for peak performance = non-negotiable
7. Leaving Science on the Shelf
“Supps are for D1 only.” Wrong-peer-reviewed gains are universal.
Fix – Your SIXSTAR Stack:
Pre-lift: Pre-Workout Explosion 2.0 - 1 scoop for more energy and blood flow
Post-lift : 100% Whey Protein+ -1 scoop to boost muscle protein synthesis in <20 min
Daily: Creatine X3 - 1 scoop +8% 1RM in 4 wks
All NCAA-compliant. No fillers. Under $1/serving.
Run a 7-day audit. Cross off one red flag per day!
