Fasting & Workout - Do they go together?

Let's admit it, fasting is a golden opportunity to lose fat. With a little knowledge you can hack your daily routine and incorporate workout and meals to stay fit while fasting. Don't fall for the "Empty sack cannot stand upright" saying!

The subject of fasting is a hot topic right now for all Muslims because we are in the middle of Ramadan, the month of fasting. I’m not an expert in this subject but I recently took part in a workshop in my local gym where we learned about working out in Ramadan and I wanted to share the knowledge with you. It's useful not only for Muslims but for anyone who is on some sort of a fasting diet including the popular intermittent fasting.

Ramadan

For those of you who are not familiar with Ramadan, it is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting. In those 29 or 30 days, Muslims are not eating or drinking (among other things) from dusk till dawn. This is mandatory for adult Muslims, except the ones who are ill, travelling, elderly, pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or menstruating. While I'm not practicing this religion, it's still an interesting topic to me as I'm trying to follow intermittent fasting.

Eating patterns

Ramadan fasting means having one meal called iftar in the evening after the sunset – in the Middle East this is at around 7pm this year – and one meal called suhoor just before the sunrise. If you look at the original practice of Islam (that was done out of religion and not science), people would break the fast with a couple of dates, a cup of yogurt and water. Then they would relax a bit, pray and after a prayer they would have a proper meal with all macro nutrients - carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

They would have another, much lighter meal before the sunrise to help them get through the day. This one can consist of a cup of yogurt, a banana and a few dates.

If we are wise in eating we can utilize the period of Ramadan for losing fat which is goal of most people nowadays (many Muslim countries like Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are on the Top 20 list of the most obese countries in 2017). If we stick to this routine, we create favorable conditions for maximal fat burning throughout the day. This is enabled by stable insulin levels which lead to stable blood sugar levels without sugar level drops that would make us hungry.

However, especially nowadays the issue with Ramadan is that there are many cultural barriers that limit the success of weight loss. Iftars are often filled with sweets and other high-glycemic index foods that cause spikes in insulin levels so we feel drowsy after the meal and hungry soon after. This creates a vicious circle that is the cause for many people to gain weight during the Ramadan instead of losing it.

Of course, we cannot deny this social factor – some families don’t get to see each other throughout the rest of the year so big social gatherings with plenty of food are a definite part of the Muslim Holy Month.

Fasting

When we fast for a longer period we create a pattern that body recognizes and adapts to it. Science does not understand yet all the mechanisms of the adaptation that happens but what we know is that there is a higher utilization of fat as a source of energy which presents itself as a golden opportunity for anybody who wants to lose body fat.

Utilization of fat during exercise while fasting is proven to be higher so if you are doing cardio workout there should be a positive effect on fat loss.

There was a study done on football players – one in Tunisia, one in Turkey and one in the UAE (unfortunately I do not have the reference link to back this up). In the study scientists monitored markers in the urine to see dehydration status of the participants. The effects of fasting showed that the dehydration levels in Tunisia and Turkey were not that severe. However, the dehydration levels of the participants from UAE, where summer temperatures reach over 50°C, were much higher. In conclusion, while cardio workout during the fast can be beneficial for weight loss, we should pay attention to staying hydrated. This is why people whose religion prohibits them from drinking during the day shouldn’t be physically active in the earlier hours to avoid dehydration throughout the entire day. This is even more important for athletes who enjoy a lot of proteins in any form (or meat-lovers in general) because kidneys require water to process the proteins. If we constantly deprive kidneys of water we are at risk for damaging them in the long term.

Cardio Training

If the social factors allow us, it is the best to work out just before iftar when the stomach is completely empty and the body is in the fat-burning mode. Understandably, performance under these conditions cannot match the performance during the rest of the year especially if we do not drink the entire day.

An alternative option for fitting the cardio workout into the Ramadan routine would be to have a very light meal to break the fast, for example a soup or some fruit and plenty of water. After taking some rest we should be able to work out and have a full meal after the workout.

The third choice would be to have a regular meal, wait about 4 to 5 hours and then work out in the middle of the night. Clearly this is not an option for many people who go to work in the morning but since in many Muslim countries the working hours are reduced during Ramadan at least some might find this practice useful.

Hitting those macros in a short eating window

Because Islamic year is 11 days shorter than the year in Gregorian calendar, Ramadan comes at a different time every year. At the moment, it takes place in the summer (for the northern hemisphere) when the nights are shorter so the eating window is particularly short. Within those few hours you might feel like you are stuffing yourself with food just to eat enough calories to carry you through the day. And you have to make sure to get enough fluids on top of that! Protein supplements can help you reach the daily requirements if you are struggling to eat large portions with your stomach shrunk from fasting.

Strength training

Strength training is a bit easier to manage during the Ramadan because your body does not dehydrate as quickly as during the cardiovascular exercise, especially if you are lifting after dinner when you have a bit of sugar in your blood.

Turkish Federation of Olympic Lifting did a research that showed their athletes could continue lifting almost the same weight regardless of fasting. However, they were physically active 4 hours after iftar, which means they heavily rotated their daily schedule. This is not the most convenient for people who go to work every day.

Another study researched amateur body builders in Tunisia and the results showed that they were able to maintain the same body mass without any additional supplements while their body fat dropped.

What goals should you set during fasting?

If we go back to basic psychology: it does not matter whether you are the type of person who wets the toothbrush before or after putting the toothpaste on, changing that is a very difficult thing.

When we opt for many changes at the same time we usually end up failing at all of them.

This is why it is important to be reasonable when it comes to setting goals in Ramadan. Most people who practice Ramadan fasting are juggling between additional religious and social obligations as well as meal planning on top of the usual training routine and work duties.

Ramadan is a great time for you to maintain your fitness, but don’t think about peaking it. The bonus is that you have an opportunity to lose some fat.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan
https://www.worldobesity.org/data/map/age
*Unfortunately, I was not able to get to the studies of the athletes because they were written in Arabic language.