Kelsey HigginsonSports Nutrition Coach and Founder at Clutch Day Coaching

One of the worst pre practice fuels

8 Nov 2025 · 0 min

Watch on YouTube

0:28

In this short video, the presenter warns that trail mix, despite its popularity as a quick energy snack, is one of the worst choices for a pre‑practice meal when the upcoming workout is high‑intensity. The speaker explains that trail mix is high in fat, which provides slow‑release energy suited to long, aerobic activities like hiking or long runs. In contrast, intense training relies on rapid glycogen stores derived from carbohydrates. Because trail mix lacks sufficient carbs and is fat‑heavy, it fails to supply the quick energy needed for such sessions, making it a suboptimal pre‑practice fuel.

One of the worst pre-practice fuels that you can eat, which people probably think is a really good thing, but actually isn't the best thing to be having pre-practice, is trail mix. Everyone thinks trail mix is gonna give you a lot of energy. If you're on a long hike, that's great. But if you're going to a really intense practice or training, it's not the best thing. Trail mix is full of fats. Your body uses fat as slow-releasing energy for more aerobic-type workouts. So long, long runs or walks. But for super intense workouts, your body is using glycogen for energy, which is coming from carbs.