The Effect of Ramadan Fasting on the Coping Strategies Used by Male Footballers Affiliated with the Tunisian First Professional League.
This research was conducted to explore how professional male Tunisian soccer players adapted their coping mechanisms during the Ramadan 2021 fast. The study included 180 players from twelve Tunisian professional teams (average age: 25.54 years, weight: 77.19 kg; height: 180.54 cm; BMI: 23.67) and was carried out in three phases: one week before Ramadan, during the last week of Ramadan, and one week after Ramadan 2021. Participants filled out the Arabic version of the Inventory of Coping Strategies for Competitive Sport (ICSCS) scale after competitions, with responses gathered retrospectively one hour later. A significant variation in coping strategies due to Ramadan fasting was observed (F = 3.51; significant level), indicating that active coping strategies were prevalent before and after Ramadan. However, during Ramadan, the players exhibited a more irregular and less balanced approach to coping. The adjustments required by the Ramadan fast notably deteriorated the adaptation strategies of these athletes, with the fasting period prompting a shift to a coping profile distinct from their usual approaches in other months.
Year: 2023
