Effects of Ramadan Fasting on Body Composition, Aerobic Performance and Lactate, Heart Rate and Perceptual Responses in Young Soccer Players

• Authors: Alpay Güvenç
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Ramadan fasting on body composition, aerobic exercise performance and blood lactate, heart rate and perceived exertion in regularly trained young soccer players. Sixteen male soccer players participated in this study. Mean age, stature, body mass and training age of the players were 17.4±1.2 years, 175.4±3.6 cm, 69.6±4.3 kg and 5.1±1.3 years, respectively. During the Ramadan period, all subjects voluntarily chose to follow the fasting guidelines and abstained from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset. Body composition, hydration status, dietary intake and sleep duration were assessed on four occasions: before Ramadan, at the beginning of Ramadan, at the end of Ramadan and 2 weeks after the end of Ramadan. On each occasion, aerobic exercise performance and blood lactate, heart rate and rating of perceived exertion responses of players were also determined during an incremental running test. Repeated measures of ANOVA revealed that body mass, percentage of body fat, fat-free mass, hydration status, daily sleeping time and daily energy and macronutrient intake of players did not vary significantly throughout the study period (p>0.05). However, players experienced a small but significant decrease in skinfold thicknesses over the course of the study (p<0.05). Although ratings of perceived exertion at submaximal workloads increased during Ramadan (p<0.05), blood lactate and heart rate responses had decreased by the end of Ramadan (p<0.05). In line with these changes, peak running performance and running velocity at anaerobic threshold also improved by the end of Ramadan (p<0.05). Improvements in aerobic exercise performance with time were probably due to the effects of pre-season training program that was performed after the break of the fast (Iftar) during the month of Ramadan. The results of the present study suggest that if regular training regimen, body fluid balance, daily energy intake and sleep duration are maintained as before Ramadan, Ramadan fasting does not have detrimental effects on aerobic exercise performance or body composition in young soccer players.

Keywords

EN

Ramadan fasting; body composition; aerobic exercise; soccer

• Publisher: De Gruyter Open
• Journal: Journal of Human Kinetics
• Year: 2011
• Volume: 29
• Pages: 79-91

Dates

published

1 - 9 - 2011

online

4 - 10 - 2011

Contributors

author

Alpay Güvenç

• School of Physical Education and Sports, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey

References

• Afifi ZEM. Daily practices, study performance and health during the Ramadan fast. JR Soc Health, 1997; 117: 231-235[Crossref]
• Bigard AX, Boussif M, Chalabi H, Guezennec CY. Alterations in muscular performance and orthostatic tolerance during Ramadan. Aviat Space Envir Md, 1998; 69: 341-346
• Bogdan A, Bouchareb B, Touitou Y. Ramadan fasting alters endocrine and neuroendocrine circadian patterns. Meal-time as a synchronizer in humans? Life Sci, 2001; 68: 1607-1615[Crossref][PubMed]
• Borg GAV. Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sport Exer, 1982; 14, 377-381
• Bouhlel E, Salhi Z, Bouhlel H, Mdella S, Amamou A, Zaouali M, Mercier J, Bigard X, Tabka Z, Zbidi A, Shephard RJ. Effect of Ramadan fasting on fuel oxidation during exercise in trained male rugby players. Diabetes Metab, 2006; 32: 617-624[Crossref][PubMed]
• Burke LM, Loucks AB, Broad N. Energy and carbohydrate for training and recovery. J Sport Sci, 2006; 24: 675-685[Crossref]
• Chaouachi A, Coutts AJ, Chamari K, Wong DP, Chaouachi M, Chtara M, Roky R, Amri M. Effect of Ramadan intermittent fasting on aerobic and anaerobic performance and perception of fatigue in male elite judo athletes. J Strength Cond Res, 2009a; 23: 2702-2709[Crossref][PubMed][WoS]
• Chaouachi A, Leiper JB, Souissi N, Coutts AJ, Chamari K. Effects of Ramadan intermittent fasting on sports performance and training: a review. Int J Sports Physiol Perform, 2009b; 4: 419-434[PubMed]
• Chennaoui M, Desgorces F, Drogou C, Boudjemaa B, Tomaszewski A, Depiesse F, Burnat P, Chalabi H, Gomez-Merino D. Effects of Ramadan fasting on physical performance and metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory parameters in middle-distance runners. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab, 2009; 34: 587-594[PubMed][Crossref][WoS]
• Edwards AM, Clark N, Macfadyen AM. Lactate and ventilatory thresholds reflect the training status of professional soccer players where maximum aerobic power is unchanged. J Sports Sci Med, 2003; 2: 23-29[PubMed]
• Eniseler N. Heart rate and blood lactate concentrations as predictors of physiological load on elite soccer players during various soccer training activities. J Strength Cond Res, 2005; 19: 799-804[PubMed]
• Hoffmann R, Ging LC, Ramasamy B. The socio-economic determinants of international soccer performance. J Appl Econ, 2002; 5: 253-272
• Husain R, Duncan MT, Cheah SH, Ching SL. Effects of fasting in Ramadan on Tropical Asiatic Moslems. Brit J Nutr, 1987; 58: 41-48[Crossref]
• Janssen PGJM. Training lactate pulse rate. Oulu, Finland: Polar Electro Oy. (4th ed.) 1994
• Junge A, Cheung K, Edwards T, Dvorak J. Injuries in youth amateur soccer and rugby players comparison of incidence and characteristics. Brit J Sport Med, 2004; 38: 168-172[Crossref]
• Karli U, Guvenc A, Aslan A, Hazir T, Acikada C. Influence of Ramadan fasting on anaerobic performance and recovery following short time high intensity exercise. J Sports Sci Med, 2007; 6: 490-497[PubMed]
• Kirkendall DT, Leiper JB, Bartagi Z, Dvorak J, Zerguini Y. The influence of Ramadan on physical performance measures in young Muslim footballers. J Sport Sci, 2008; 26 (Suppl. 3): 15-27[Crossref]
• Leiper JB, Junge A, Maughan RJ, Zerguini Y, Dvorak J. Alteration of subjective feelings in football players undertaking their usual training and match schedule during the Ramadan fast. J Sport Sci, 2008; 26 (Suppl. 3): 55-69[WoS][Crossref]
• Leiper JB, Molla AM, Molla AM. Effects on health of fluid restriction during fasting in Ramadan. Eur J Clin Nutr, 2003; 57 (Suppl. 2): 30-38[Crossref]
• Lohman TG, Roche AF, Martorell R. Anthropometric standardization reference manual. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics. 1991
• Margolis SA, Reed RL. Effect of religious practices of Ramadan on sleep and perceived sleepiness of medical students. Teach Learn Med, 2004; 16: 145-149[Crossref][PubMed]
• Maughan RJ, Bartagi Z, Dvorak J, Zerguini Y. Dietary intake and body composition of football players during the holy month of Ramadan. J Sport Sci, 2008; 26 (Suppl. 3): 29-38[WoS][Crossref]
• McMillan K, Helgerud J, Grant SJ, Newell J, Wilson J, Mcdonald R, Hoff J. Lactate threshold responses to a season of professional British youth soccer. Brit J Sport Med, 2005; 39: 432-436[Crossref]
• Meckel Y, Ismaeel A, Eliakim A. The effect of the Ramadan fast on physical performance and dietary habits in adolescent soccer players. Eur J Appl Physiol, 2008; 102: 651-657[PubMed][Crossref][WoS]
• Ramadan J, Telahoun G, Al-Zaid NS, Barac-Nieto M. Responses to exercise, fluid, and energy balances during Ramadan in sedentary and active males. Nutrition, 1999; 15: 735-739[PubMed][Crossref]
• Reilly T, Waterhouse J. Altered sleep-wake cycles and food intake: the Ramadan model. Physiol Behav, 2007; 90: 219-228[PubMed][Crossref][WoS]
• Roky R, Houti I, Moussamih S, Qotbi S, Aadil N. Physiological and chronobiological changes during Ramadan intermittent fasting. Ann Nutr Metab, 2004; 48: 296-303[PubMed][Crossref]
• Shirreffs SM, Maughan RJ. Water and salt balance in young male football players in training during the holy month of Ramadan. J Sport Sci, 2008; 26(Suppl. 3): 47-54[Crossref]
• Sweileh N, Schnitzler A, Hunter GR, Davis B. Body composition and energy metabolism in resting and exercising muslims during Ramadan fast. J Sport Med Phys Fit, 1992; 32: 156-163
• Waterhouse J, Alkib L, Reilly T. Effects of Ramadan upon fluid and food intake, fatigue, and physical, mental, and social activities: a comparison between the UK and Libya. Chronobiol Int, 2008; 25: 697-724[Crossref][PubMed][WoS]
• Zerguini Y, Kirkendall D, Junge A, Dvorak J. Impact of Ramadan on physical performance in professional soccer players. Brit J Sport Med, 2007; 41: 398-400[WoS][Crossref]

Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10078-011-0042-9