The effect of time-of-day of training during Ramadan on physiological parameters in highly trained endurance athletes

Abstract

We investigated the effect of Ramadan fasting on maximal aerobic velocity (MAV), time to exhaustion (t_lim100), performance in running 3000-m in runners who trained at 09:00, 14:00, and 22:00 h. Twenty-four middle- and long-distance runners (28.5 ± 10.6 years) were assigned to 3 groups of 8 participants: an afternoon group (AG) (who trained between 14:00 and 16:00 h), a morning group (MG) (who trained between 09:00 and 11:00 h), and an evening group (EG) (who trained between 22:00 and 24:00 h). Before, at mid-, and after Ramadan, MAV and maximal oxygen uptake () were significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the AG and MG groups compared to the EG group. Before and after Ramadan, the times recorded for the 3000-m running exercise were significantly higher (p < 0.01) and t_lim100 was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in the EG and MG groups compared to the AG groups. In conclusion, afternoon training during Ramadan might be more effective than morning or evening training for the enhancement of aerobic capacity.

Keywords:

• Islam
• fast
• long-distance runners
• physiological responses