Fasting does not deter athletes from training: Experts

LANI ROSE R DIZON

DOHA FASTING during the Holy Month of Ramadan would not mean less work for sportspersons in Qatar who are to continue with their training and work-out routines while on fast.

According to Qatar Women’s Sport Committee (QWSC) Secretary-General Lolwa al Marri, national teams in Qatar will continue with their strict trainings during Ramadan but with changes in schedules. She told Qatar Tribune on Monday, “The handball and basketball teams have just returned from training camps in Hungary, while the table tennis team is just back after training in China.

We are preparing for the upcoming Arab Games in Doha in December so trainings for the various national teams will continue until the competitions.

However, trainings which were normally conducted during daytime will now be conducted after Iftar (breaking of fast). Our athletes are already used to this and they have very good coaches who will guide them.” Currently, the QWSC has more than 2,000 women athletes who make up the national teams for handball, volleyball, basketball, football, table tennis, and swimming among others. Al Marri said that all the teams barring the women’s swimming team would continue their trainings during Ramadan. She also said that the committee is currently organizing a Ramadan competition for football and basketball. The games are open to athletes as well as schools in general.

According to experts, athletes or fitness freaks need not cut back on their training and work-out regimes while fasting during the Holy Month of Ramadan, as it is mainly sleep deprivation, not starvation which affects an athlete’s performance during Ramadan fasting.

Moreover, exercise is vital for weight control even during the fasting month, say experts.

In an earlier interview with Qatar Tribune, Dr Hakim Chalabi, director of National Sports Medicine Programme at ASPETAR Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, spoke about the effects of Ramadan on athletes. He had said that it was mainly sleep deprivation, not starvation during fasting which affected an athlete’s performance during Ramadan.

“Most people suspect that it is fasting that may decrease an athlete’s performance during Ramadan but studies now show that sleep deprivation may be the main reason for the impact of Ramadan on athletes’ performance,” he said.

Dina Isaifan, nutrition and diet expert at the Nutrition and Diet Center, Doha, added, “Sleep deprivation causes tiredness, headache and irritability.

But waking until the wee hours of the morning and sleeping in daytime is not advisable.

Sleeping hours may be changed in Ramadan due to new meal timings.”

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