Fueling the Fire: Intrinsic vs. External Motivation in Athletes

At Phosfit, we’re obsessed with performance — not just in the body, but in the mind.

One of the most overlooked aspects of elite sprinting and long-term development is motivation: what drives you to show up, push limits, and stay in the game when no one is watching.

Let’s unpack two types of motivation that shape every athlete’s journey — and why where your fire comes from matters.

External Motivation: The Short-Term Spark

External motivation is everywhere in sport:

• Winning medals

• Gaining followers

• Impressing coaches

• Earning sponsorships

• Beating your rivals

There’s nothing wrong with these. They’re real, powerful, and they can push athletes to achieve short-term greatness.

But there’s a catch — external motivation fades. When results don’t come, praise dries up, or the pressure becomes too much, athletes relying only on external rewards often burn out or break down.

Intrinsic Motivation: The Long-Term Engine

Intrinsic motivation is the internal drive to improve because it means something to you:

• The desire to master your craft

• The love of movement and speed

• The curiosity to see how far you can go

• The satisfaction of pushing your limits

This is the fuel that doesn’t run out. It

sustains champions during cold mornings, lonely sessions, and silent progress.

Athletes driven by intrinsic motivation become self-directed — they own their training, recover smarter, and perform more consistently under pressure.

So, What Should You Focus On?

At Phosfit, we believe both types of motivation have their place — but if you want to build an unstoppable athlete, you must cultivate intrinsic drive.

Here’s how to shift your focus:

• Celebrate effort, not just outcomes. Did you bring intensity to the track today? Did you master a technical cue? That’s progress.

• Ask better questions. Instead of “Did I win?” ask, “Did I execute?” or “Did I challenge myself?”

• Detach from approval. Run because you love it, not because someone claps.

• Connect training to identity. You're not just an athlete — you’re someone who values discipline, growth, and resilience.

  
  

Final Word: Train the Fire

External motivators can start the fire. But only intrinsic motivation keeps it burning when the noise dies down.

At Phosfit, we train athletes to chase excellence because they crave it — not because someone told them to.

Because the fastest, strongest, most durable athletes in the world?

They do it for the love of the game.