Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims during which they
observe intermittent fasting for approximately 30 days. The practice of
Ramadan fasting is obligatory for all healthy, adult Muslims and
requires each to abstain from food and fluid from sunrise to sunset.
According to Muslims, Ramadan fasting is regarded with high importance
as it is considered a spiritual act that increases God-consciousness and
brings about personal improvement through self-restraint.
During
Ramadan, Muslims believe they are spiritually more enlightened and rise
up towards nobler acts that bring one closer to God. While the choice to
fast is that of every individual, for football players and other
athletes, the effects of Ramadan fasting on sports performance needs to
be considered.
Ramadan is dictated by the Islamic calendar, which
follows a lunar cycle and is shorter than the Gregorian calendar by 10
to 11 days. As a result, the month of Ramadan shifts forward each
year, through the seasons, and completes a cycle every 33 years. Over
the next few years, Ramadan will be observed in July and August (2013)
and will progress to June by 2016. This period presents an additional
challenge for football players and all Muslim athletes living in the
northern hemisphere, as longer summer days mean a longer fasting period.
It is not uncommon for major sports competitions to be
held during Ramadan. Last year, the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games was
held during the month of Ramadan. Over the next few years, major
international competitions will also overlap with Ramadan (Figure 1).
The FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil will be held from 12 June to 13 July
and will coincide with the month of Ramadan, which will start 28 June
2014. In 2016, the UEFA European Football Championship, also known as
the ‘Euro cup’ in France, will coincide with 3 weeks of Ramadan.
Importantly, it is estimated that 29% of the world’s
population are Muslim. According to a FIFA report, Muslim football fans
are estimated to number 270 million, representing 208 different
countries. Although distributed widely, the concentration of Muslims is
high in countries where football is a popular sport, such as in the
Middle East and Africa. Given the popularity of football among Muslims
across the globe, Ramadan and football are closely linked.
The present
article is intended to provide a summary of the effects of the Ramadan
fast on sports performance, and will highlight key strategies to inform
football players, coaches, and organisers on the best practice to cope
with the lifestyle changes that occur during Ramadan.
DIET
Athletes are required to maintain a healthy diet in order
to optimise performance. Although it is strongly recommended that
athletes consume three large meals per day, this is often not the case
during Ramadan given the shorter time available to eat. Most Muslims
automatically change their meal frequency to two meals: one before
sunrise (Suhoor) and the other just after sunset (Iftar). Thus, the
major change in lifestyle during Ramadan begins with the shift of food
(and fluid) intake from daylight to night hours. As this pattern
continues throughout the next 30 days, there is an increased risk of
nutritional and energy deficiency in active athletes.
During Ramadan the challenge for Muslim athletes to eat
healthy meals becomes more difficult as each day is celebrated with a
large feast at sunset (Iftar). In modern Muslim culture, Iftar
comprises of foods high in fat, sugar and salt, which are not
necessarily healthy for ‘normal’ individuals, much less for athletes.
Studies analysing the nutritional content of Iftar have discovered that
the calorific value is nearly equivalent to two meals. Thus, the total
daily caloric intake during Ramadan can be maintained, however
nutritional deficiencies have been documented, given that food choices
are not varied.
To encourage healthy eating among athletes during
Ramadan, coaches and sports organisers should advocate for athletes to
consume varied foods rich in macronutrient profile (e.g. carbohydrate,
protein and fat) and high in nutrients which are essential for optimal
performance and recovery. As much as possible, meals should be moderate
in size and spaced out at regular intervals to maximise absorption of
nutrients. A smaller pre- and post-training meal can also help to
increase caloric intake, maintain performance and aid in recovery.
Finally, should the opportunity be presented, moving the training camp
away from home where a strict diet plan can be offered may improve
dietary intake.
HYDRATION
Athletes who fast during Ramadan also cannot drink water
during daylight hours. Although dehydration is not widely reported,
smaller levels of hypo-hydration could be carried over to the next day
and ultimately leave an athlete at risk for dehydration, which could
affect performance.
During Ramadan, athletes will have limited opportunity to
re-hydrate themselves, especially in the summer months when nights are
shorter. In addition, social commitments are usually planned during the
night when most people focus more on eating rather than drinking fluids.
A common occurrence is for athletes to drink large quantities of water
which is an ineffective way to improve hydration. Consuming large
volumes of water at once will induce urine loss and if done before
bedtime will cause interrupted sleep.
For improved hydration during Ramadan, athletes are
recommended to drink water frequently in shorter intervals rather than
in one large amount. In addition, solid foods including those containing
a marginal amount of salt can help to improve water retention.
TRAINING AND COMPETITION SCHEDULE
During Ramadan, training and competition schedules need
to be balanced with consideration for available energy stores and the
ability to re-fuel and re-hydrate. Importantly, athletes who participate
in training in the morning will not be able to refuel or re-hydrate,
whereas those training in the late afternoon or early evening before
sunset may not be adequately fuelled or hydrated given that the daytime
fast could be up to 14 hours in the summer. Thus, any training between
sunrise and sunset would be ineffective and is not recommended during
Ramadan.
There is no consensus on the best time to train Muslim
football players who fast during Ramadan. In countries where the
majority of the team are Muslims, it is usually decided to schedule
training at least 3 to 4 hours after the break of fast. Training at this
time will avoid diet and hydration restrictions before, during and
after exercise. The Qatar Stars League’s usual schedule of matches and
training illustrates this perspective (Figure 2).
During non-Ramadan
months, all training sessions take place in the evening and matches
start around 6.30 pm or 8.30 pm. These timings are delayed during
Ramadan and when there are two matches to be played in a day, the second
match could be as late as 11.30 pm.
Importantly, Qatar is predominately a Muslim country, and
therefore this schedule is designed to fit into the lifestyle of the
majority who are fasting. However, for the 10 to 15% of non-Muslims
who are also participating in football training and competition, their
meal timings and sleep habits may be different, which could negatively
influence their performance should they not cope well with such changes
in training and competition schedules.
Of course, in non-Muslim
predominate countries the opposite may also be true. Thus, in all cases
both coaches and athletes must communicate to find what is most
effective for each individual, for the team and for the competitions.
SLEEP
Sleep loss is a major factor leading to daytime fatigue
and poor concentration, which is believed to limit performance and
recovery in athletes. New research demonstrates that Muslim football
players have major disturbances to sleep during Ramadan. In Qatar
football players, there is a substantial delay in the sleep period,
increased sleep fragmentation and more reports of daytime fatigue.
Therefore, the impact that sleep has on both recovery and performance,
especially during Ramadan when major changes in lifestyle occur, needs
to be considered.
Firstly, coaches and athletes must be made aware of the
importance of sleep. Further it is recommended that training and
competition schedules are balanced with sleep-wake pattern. In all
cases, athletes need to be encouraged to schedule their lifestyle to
maintain a minimum of 7 hours sleep and ideally between 8 to 9 hours.
Interventions such as sleep education, daytime naps and specialist sleep
improvement may be warranted to limit fatigue and improve recovery.
PERFORMANCE AND INJURIES
During Ramadan, the crucial question to consider is
whether or not training intensity can be maintained. It is well known
that sufficient training intensity is needed to promote adaptation and
improve athletic performance.
The available literature suggests that when provided with
adequate diet, hydration and sleep, football players can maintain their
performance as long as the training load is also maintained in relation
to intensity and volume. Notably, one study has reported an increase in
injury rates among non-Muslims (in a Muslim country) where training and
matches were held during evening and late night hours.
Thus, it appears
that the ability for individual athletes to cope with the changes
during Ramadan is a key factor mediating performance.
The fact that all athletes respond differently to
training is not new. However, during Ramadan there are additional
lifestyle changes to consider. It is especially important during this
time that coaches routinely collect feedback from athletes on factors
that may affect both their mental and physical performance.
This
includes diet, hydration, sleep, training load, recovery, mood and
motivation. By doing so, any significant deviation from the
pre-Ramadan levels should then be considered cause for appropriate
intervention according to team protocols.
TO FAST OR NOT TO FAST?
The decision whether or not to fast during Ramadan is not
new for professional Muslim athletes. In Qatar and many of the Middle
East and Arab countries, Ramadan fasting is practiced from the age of 10
to 12 years. Even after a few years of experience, each athlete will
have developed their own set of beliefs, knowledge and perceptions about
the impact that Ramadan fasting has on both mental and physical
performance. While these perceptions may not be scientifically proven
they are valid and should therefore be considered.
The decision on whether or not to fast may receive
criticism and disapproval from family, friends and members of the
community or coaches who give more weight to religion or sport. It has
been reported that some professional league football players observe
Ramadan fasting during training as well as during games. Others observe
Ramadan fasting on training days but not on match days.
In essence, the
right to practice ones faith is recognised as a universal human right.
However, the decision to observe the Ramadan fast among football and
other athletes is not without concern for others (Figure 3). An Iranian
national team player was excluded from the national team squad because
he decided to break his fast. Three Muslim players from a German
football club received warnings for failing to inform the coach about
their decision to fast.
As previously described, in Muslim majority regions
athletes will often chose to fast every day because of the social
support and culture. In addition, they will receive full support and
convenient training and competition plans from organisers.
Of course,
some coaches, for example those living in a non-Muslim predominate
country are less concerned about Ramadan, since they may have only a
couple of Muslim players in the team, while others coach an entire team
that practices Ramadan fasting. Therefore, any decision that goes
against the team’s will can increase mental pressure and decrease team
morale.
These examples not only highlight the various opinions among
athletes and coaches, but also highlight the influence that the
surrounding environment may have on whether or not an athlete decides to
fast.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Ramadan fasting results in a shift of food
and fluid intake from daylight to night time, which presents major
lifestyle changes that may negatively affect sports performance if not
monitored and controlled.
The occurrence of Ramadan with major football
competitions is increasing and becomes important to consider given that
football is a sport that requires all 11 players on the field to perform
at their best physical and mental effort.
While the decision on whether
or not to fast is that of each individual athlete, we believe that
coaches and organisers can play an important role in providing accurate
and updated knowledge about the impact of Ramadan fasting on health and
physical performance, and ultimately have mutual agreement with athletes
on the best strategy for training and competition during Ramadan.
