During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims worldwide refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset over a period of approximately 30 days. Research in adult and youth soccer players has shown that during and/or following Ramadan, performance in athletic and/or skill tests can be affected (Zerguini et al., 2007; Chtourou et al., 2011). Sleep loss (Maughan et al., 2012) and alterations in circadian rhythm can also occur (Drust et al., 2012) potentially affecting preparation, performance and recovery. However, to our knowledge, only one study has examined the effects of Ramadan fasting on athletic performance in match-play conditions in soccer players (Aziz et al., 2018) and no data exist in elite performers. A comparison of 2 simulated matches played by amateur players in both a fasted versus non-fasted state reported a 13% and 35% reduction in total and high-intensity distance covered in the fasted state with a negative impact already noticeable early in the match (Aziz et al., 2018).
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