Questions? Contact me!

Christina Weidman, RDN, CSSD, LDN

christina@cwsportsnutrition.com
@christinathesportsrd
Fueling During Ramadan

How Does Ramadan Affect Training?

Increased feelings of fatigue.
Fasting athletes are at a greater risk of overtraining during Ramadan.
Non-contact and training overuse injuries were significantly higher in fasting
athletes during Ramadan than before or after Ramadan.³
Night-time sleep is often delayed and reduced because of the large amounts of food that
is consumed late at night.¹
Reduction of alertness during Ramadan is related to disruptions in the quantity of
sleep.
Sleep deprivation leads to a slowing of reaction times and attentional deficits,
particularly in the late afternoon

Important Things to Consider:

Use overnight opportunities to supply nutrients needed to promote performance,
adaptation, and recovery.²
Delay training or competitions to evenings so Iftar can be used as a pre-exercise meal
and the main evening meal can be delayed until after exercise.²
Focus should be on carbohydrate consumption to replenish depleted muscle glycogen.³
Lack or inadequate carbohydrate consumption before event may lead to premature
fatigue.²
Risk of gastrointestinal discomfort if a large meal is consumed at Suhoor before exercise.²
Include high-quality protein in Iftar meals to replenish the body after day time training.
Drinks with high energy and nutrient density are useful for meeting requirements.²
Many special Ramadan drinks are high in energy and protein, like labhan and jellab.
Caution with Ramadan treats since they are higher in fat, try adapting recipe to be higher
carbohydrate while reducing the fat.²
 Questions? Contact me!
Christina Weidman, RDN, CSSD, LDN
christina@cwsportsnutrition.com
@christinathesportsrd
Planning Food and Hydration
Sample Meal Pattern
Sunset: Iftar
Break fast (usually with a snack of dates) and have prayer.
Start with small sips and small amounts of food.
Focus on rehydration, incorporate at least two electrolyte replacements during non-fasting times.
PM Meal: Iftar
Iftar foods are usually rich in carbohydrates and quality proteins.²
Figs, dates, thareed, arab breads, milk, and labhan.
Chicken, beef, fish, and veal.
PM Snack (about 10 pm to Midnight)
Ma’amoul, dried and fresh fruits, and nuts are good snacks.
AM Meal: Suhoor
Suhoor meals that are high in carbohydrates like rice with egg, cheese, and milk.²
Beans and ful may not be suitable if consumed close to training sessions because it can cause digestive
discomfort.
AM Snack (if possible before sun rise)
Ma’amoul, dried and fresh fruits, and nuts are good snacks.
AM training about 2 hours after sun rise
At least one hour before training, favor easily digestible food like fruit purées, crackers, and yogurt.

Hydration:
Ensure adequate fluid intake from sunset to sunrise, especially just before dawn.
Minimize daytime fluid losses before training to preserve hydration status and physical
performance.
Favor foods rich in water and avoid drinks that have a diuretic effect like coffee, soda, and tea.
Hyper-hydrating with large volumes of water at Suhoor is ineffective. ⁶
Electrolyte replacements are a great aid to use at night to hyper-hydrate.
The Right-Stuff, Ultima, and Liquid I.V.

Tactics to reduce the adverse effects of Ramadan upon athletic performance:⁷

Change the timing of events Proper Hydration
Minimize sleep deprivation Optimization of mood-state
Maintenance of blood sugar Maintenance of a full training program.