Ramadan Nutritional Strategy: Professional Soccer Player Case Study
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Date
2022-01-21
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Abstract
The period of Ramadan induces changes in the usual eating patterns of individuals. During
this period, Muslims must abstain from drinking and eating from dawn to dusk. Therefore, some
research conducted on professional soccer players has observed that during and/or after Ramadan,
performance, running speed, agility, dribbling speed, and endurance and/or skill performance in
athletic events may be negatively affected by Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF). The objective of this
study was to analyze the influence of a dietary plan during RIF on performance and body composition
in a professional soccer player. A 20-year-old elite player (86.0 kg, 188.5 cm) followed a dietarynutritional
plan with an isocaloric diet and was supplemented with glycerol. The athlete’s strength
and power in the lower limbs was assessed by performing a countermovement jump (CMJ) and
Abalakov vertical jump (ABK) before and after Ramadan. After nutritional planning, the patient’s
body composition improved in terms of fat loss (6.61 to 5.70%) and muscle mass gain (50.26 to
51.50%). In addition, this translated into improvements in performance tests, both in the CMJ (36.72
to 40.00 cm) and ABK (39.16 to 49.34 cm). In conclusion, during a period of fasting, personalised
nutritional planning and an appropriate supplementation and rest protocol can improve the body
composition and performance of soccer players.
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Keywords
Nutrition, Sport, Athletic performance, Sports supplements, Body composition, Dietary tools