Episode 498 - David Dunne: Unlocking Athletic Performance with Nutrition Behaviour Change

In this fascinating discussion with David Dunne, CEO of Hexis, we explore the importance of nutrition in sport and the lack of tools available to help practitioners effectively influence behaviour change. David shares his personal experience with a professional athlete who, despite knowing what nutritional changes he needed to make, just wasn’t motivated them to make them, and how this sparked his journey of exploring behaviour change and technology through his PhD. We also reflect on the work of nutrition scientist Louise Burke and how her foundational work has been so influential in the field of sports nutrition.

We examine ways for coaches to develop interventions to assist athletes in understanding how to change their behaviour around nutrition. Discover how the behaviour change wheel, the combi model, and the theoretical domains framework can help practitioners design, develop, and deliver effective interventions.  We discuss the importance of focusing on behaviours rather than outcomes when defining a target behaviour and the role of capability, opportunity, and motivation in behaviour change. We also explore various intervention options such as persuasive and cognitive interventions, and peer modeling to help athletes build confidence in their capabilities.

Finally, we discuss strategies to help athletes maintain high performance, manage body composition, and fuel their bodies correctly. Learn about the value of periodizing nutrition and the advantages of a more balanced lifestyle approach.

David Dunne CEO Hexis

Chris Collyer