Ramadan Fasting and Short-Term Maximal Physical Performance: Searching for Optimal Timing of the Last Meal “Suhoor” in Female Pre-University Handball Players

Abstract

Aiming to identify the ideal suhoor timing for maintaining optimal physical performance and health indicators during Ramadan intermittent fasting, the present study compares the effects of early vs. late Suhoor on short-term high-intensity physical exercise while controlling the body mass index (BMI) oral temperature (OT), dietary intake, and sleep patterns. In a randomized design, 19 female pre-university handball players (age: 16.8 ± 0.4 y; height: 1.70 ± 0.9 m; and body mass: 61.5 ± 6.9 kg) underwent two test sessions (at 08:00 a.m. and 05:00 p.m.) at four different conditions: ten days prior to Ramadan (R − 10), the final ten days of Ramadan (R) including both Early Suhoor R(ES) and Late Suhoor R(LS) conditions, and the ten days immediately following Ramadan (R + 10). A recovery period of at least 48 h has been set between successive test sessions at each period. Outcome measures included the Countermovement Jumps Test (CMJ), Modified Agility t-Test (MATT), Repeated Sprint Ability (RSA), and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), OT, BMI, and daily diary intake were assessed across the three periods. The total scores of PSQI decreased significantly during R and R + 10 compared to R − 10. When performed in the afternoon, CMJ, MATT, and RSA performance decreased significantly at R(ES) and R(LS) conditions compared to R − 10. However, these performances decreased only after R(ES) when performed in the morning. Furthermore, performances were lower during R(ES) compared to R(LS) in the afternoon for all tests and the morning for MATT and RSA tests. These findings support prior research showing a deterioration of physical performance during Ramadan fasting and indicate a more pronounced impact following early Suhoor condition. Therefore, consuming a late suhoor, closer to pre-dawn time, could be suggested as an effective strategy to minimize physical performance decline during short-term high-intensity exercise.

The effect of last meal “Suhoor” timing on diurnal variations in cognitive performance during Ramadan fasting among female athletes

“…Consistent with previous studies, our results did not reveal any evidence that alterations in body composition and nutrition during RIF could account for the adverse impact on cognitive performance ( 10 , 11 , 57 , 71 ). Contrary to a recent meta-analysis suggesting that maintaining training during RIF can lead to a reduction in body mass among adult athletes ( 72 ), our results are in agreement with the outcomes of another previous meta-analysis, which indicated that RIF does not have detrimental effects on body composition ( 73 ).…”

“…RIF frequently causes sleep disturbances, which may contribute to a deterioration in cognitive function ( 59 ). Our results reveal a significant reduction in subjective sleep duration and quality during RIF, aligning with studies that associate cognitive decline with cumulative sleep deprivation and fragmentation throughout this month ( 10 , 11 ). Considering athletes may require more than the standard 7–9 h of sleep for optimal performance ( 60 ) and that partial sleep deprivation is known to compromise athletes' cognitive abilities, the decline in cognitive function observed in our study during the afternoon could partly be attributed to this phenomenon ( 61 , 62 ).…”

“…The significance level (α) was established at 0.05, with a desired statistical power (β) of 0.80. After estimating effect sizes based on a previous study with a similar design ( 11 ) and after discussion among the authors, we approximated the effect size to be 0.25. To attain the requisite statistical power, it was determined that a sample size of at least 22 athletes would be sufficient, therefore minimizing the probability of a type 2 statistical error.…”

“…Surprisingly, limited investigations have focused on the optimal last meal timing “Suhoor” for athletes to maintain and/or improve their cognitive and physical performance during RIF. To our knowledge, only one recent study has investigated the optimal Suhoor timing for short-term high-intensity exercise ( 11 ), while no evidence has been found about the optimal Suhoor timing intake related to cognitive performance in athletes.…”

Optimizing Short-Term Maximal Exercise Performance: The Superior Efficacy of a 6 mg/kg Caffeine Dose over 3 or 9 mg/kg in Young Female Team-Sports Athletes

“…In line with prior studies on female athletes [ 58 , 59 , 60 ], the repeated sprint ability (RSA) test was conducted. The test involved six maximal 2 × 12.5 m shuttle sprints, each separated by 20 s of passive rest and 180° turns.…”