Does Fasting during Ramadan Alter Cardiorespiratory Responses, Body Composition, and Blood Lipids in Athlete Individual?

Millions of athletes participate every year in the Ramadan fasting of all around the world. However, few findings are available on the effects of Ramadan fasting on athletic performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate changes in cardiorespiratory responses, body composition, and blood lipids due to moderately and heavy aerobic exercise training during the fasting month of Ramadan in athletes. Sixty-six trained healthy men from Yazd city, Iran, were selected as purposeful and then randomly assigned into 3 groups: only fasting (F, n = 22), fasting plus exercise (FE, n = 22), and only exercise (E, n = 22). In addition to the fasting, subjects in the FE group also participated in an aerobic exercise-training program [65-85% maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max)] for 4 weeks during Ramadan. Body weight, body mass index, fat percentage, VO2 max, and blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC) low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides (TG) were measured at baseline and after Ramadan. The VO2 max and HDL level of the FE group was increased compared to pre-fasting, whereas the total cholesterol and blood glucose were significantly reduced at the end of the 29-day fasting Ramadan period (P < 0.05). No significant changes were observed between groups in body composition and blood lipid profile. A significant different in predicted Vo2 max was observed in the athletes group (P < 0.05). The results of this study showed that Ramadan fasting combined with exercise training had no adverse effect on the subjects when performing aerobic exercise at submaximal level. In addition, fasting and exercise increase maximum oxygen consumption and improve total cholesterol, triglyceride and blood glucose in athletes.