Impact of Ramadan intermittent fasting on cognitive function in trained cyclists: A pilot study

In this 2016 study, cyclists undergoing intermittent fasting for Ramadan were assessed on their cognitive function. The participants fasted during the daylight hours. Various cognitive tests were conducted before and after Ramadan, and in the 1st and 4th weeks of this holy month of fasting. An increase in perceived fatigue and delayed onset muscle soreness was noticed in the 4th week of Ramadan. Moreover, the eleven cyclists showed disturbed sleeping patterns during Ramadan. Duration of light sleep and number of awakenings significantly increased during this period. Following the holy month, the study observed decreased durations of deep and REM sleep stages in the athletes. With regards to the cognitive tests, reaction and movement times did not vary over the study period. There were, however, higher incidences of false alarms in the Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP) tests, suggesting reduced impulsivity. Compared to baseline, overall accuracy was higher during Ramadan (1st and 4th weeks) and post-Ramadan. In the fourth week of fasting, accuracy was higher at 0-2 am compared to 4-6pm. In conclusion, the intermittent fasting that takes place during Ramadan did not negatively affect the cognitive performance of trained cyclists from the Middle East. [NPID: fasting, intermittent fasting, Ramadan, Middle East, Muslim, cyclists, athletes, cognition, sleep]

Year: 2016

Reference: Chamari, K., Briki, W., Farooq, A., Patrick, T., Belfekih, T., & Herrera, C. P. (2016). Impact of Ramadan intermittent fasting on cognitive function in trained cyclists: a pilot study. Biology of sport, 33(1), 49–56. https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1185888

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