SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2022
The Effects of Ramadan Intermittent Fasting on Football Players and Implications for Domestic Football Leagues Over the Next Decade: A Systematic Review.
Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 21 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Modified Ramadan Fasting on Mental Well-Being and Biomarkers in Healthy Adult Muslims - A Randomised Controlled Trial.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Trial
- Exercise Training in the Fasted State During the Month of Ramadan: Acutely Ergolytic but Possibly Chronically Ergogenic? A Narrative Review with Systematic Search and Methodological Quality Assessment.Sports medicine - open · 2026Review
- Acute differences in field-based physical performance between Ramadan-type fasting and non-fasting conditions in 10-11-year-old youth soccer players.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Does Ramadan fasting influence time-motion metrics and psychophysiological responses in soccer players during small-sided games performed in fed and fasted states?Biology of sport · 2026Article
- The Effect of Ramadan Fasting on the Coping Strategies Used by Male Footballers Affiliated with the Tunisian First Professional League.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Lessons Learned From COVID-19 Lockdown: An ASPED/MENA Study on Lifestyle Changes and Quality of Life During Ramadan Fasting in Children and Adolescents Living With Type 1 Diabetes.Clinical medicine insights. Endocrinology and diabetes · 2023Article
- Mental, physiological and medical considerations for elite football players in the Saudi Pro League: a call for action.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2023Article
- Review
- Article
- Ramadan Observance Exacerbated the Negative Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Sleep and Training Behaviors: A International Survey on 1,681 Muslim Athletes.Frontiers in nutrition · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe month of Ramadan will intersect with many football leagues' schedules over the next decade. Understanding the effects of Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) on physical performance is necessary to guide considerations for football players.
objectiveThe aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of RIF on physical factors in football players, and secondarily to consider the impact this may have on domestic club football leagues.
designWe conducted a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines. DATA SOURCES: The online literature search utilized CINAHL (EBSCO), Cochrane Library, Embase.com, PubMed, and Scopus databases, and grey literature (all from database inception to May 2020). STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA: Inclusion criteria consisted of studies of football (soccer) players, data collected during and/or around Ramadan, with injury and/or performance data provided.
resultsThe search yielded 11,226 studies. Twenty-two studies were included following a review of titles, abstracts, and full texts. Studies included some iteration of before-Ramadan, during-Ramadan, and after-Ramadan data. Common measures observed included ratings of perceived exertion (n = 8), sprinting (n = 7), sleep (n = 7), peak heart rate (n = 6), jumping (n = 5), Yo-Yo intermittent recovery tests (n = 4), Wingate anaerobic test (n = 3), field-specific tests (n = 3), and injury rates (n = 2). Decreased physical performance was commonly observed during late afternoon/evening testing (before breaking the fast) and with high-intensity exercise.
conclusionThere appears to be a performance deficit related to RIF in Muslim football players. Studies should explore the effects of RIF on actual match demands. Due to the month of Ramadan emerging into league calendars, considerations should be made to accommodate Muslim football players who are intermittently fasting.
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