Bougrine Houda, Chalghaf Nasr, Azaiez Chiraz, Hammad Ayat S, Boussayala Ghada, Dhahri Moez, Henchiri Hamdi, Al-Saedi Ali Ibrahim Abd Ulwahid, Al-Hayali Mazin Dawood Ahmed, Al-Rubaiawi Ahmed Wateed Mazyed Shdr, Ezzi Ahmed Farooq Tawfeeq, Al-Sadoon Nabee Muttlak Nasser, Souissi Nizar, Azaiez Fairouz, Dergaa Ismail, Al-Asmakh Maha
High Institute of Sports and Physical Education of Gafsa, University of Gafsa, Gafsa, Tunisia.
Physical Activity Research Unit, Sport and Health (UR18JS01), National Observatory of Sports, Tunis, Tunisia.
Front Sports Act Living. 2024 Jun 5;6:1362066. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1362066. eCollection 2024.
Intermittent fasting (IF) represents a dietary intervention similar to caloric restriction, characterized by the strategic limitation of food consumption. Among the diverse array of practices for IF, Ramadan IF (RIF), a religious observance in Islam, mandates that healthy adult Muslims abstain from both food and drinks during daylight hours. In sports, researchers have extensively studied IF effects on health, including sleep and physical performance, but its impact on cognitive functions during RIF remains understudied. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the influence of RIF on psychomotor and cognitive performance among young female athletes.
To achieve this purpose, a cohort of 23 female handball players, aged 17.2 ± 0.5 years, participated in a series of six testing sessions: one conducted prior to Ramadan (R0), and others during the first (R1), second (R2), third (R3), and fourth (R4) weeks of Ramadan, followed by a session in the week after Ramadan (R5). Each session involved assessments using a Simple Reaction Time Test (SRT), Choice Reaction Time Test (CRT), Vigilance Test (VT), and Mental Rotation Test (MRT). Additionally, dietary intake, body composition, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were evaluated during these periods.
The obtained data illustrated that there was a decrease in SRT, CRT, VT, and MRT performances during R1 in comparison to R0 (all < .001). This reduction was also observed in R2, R3, R4, and R5. Notably, during the fourth week of Ramadan (R4), these cognitive and psychomotor parameters were significantly lower than during the earlier weeks (R1, R2, R3; all < .001). Furthermore, a gradual decrease in total PSQI scores, sleep quality, and sleep duration was observed throughout the Ramadan period, reaching the lowest levels during R4. These findings illustrate that RIF has a significantly detrimental impact on neuromuscular and cognitive abilities as well as sleep quality in young female athletes. The study also highlights a fluctuating pattern in cognitive function across the four weeks of Ramadan, with the most pronounced decline observed during the final week of fasting illustrating the importance of conducting similar studies on normal individuals from both genders with larger sample size.
间歇性禁食（IF）是一种类似于热量限制的饮食干预方式，其特点是对食物摄入进行策略性限制。在各种各样的间歇性禁食做法中，斋月间歇性禁食（RIF）是伊斯兰教的一种宗教仪式，要求健康的成年穆斯林在白天禁食禁饮。在体育领域，研究人员广泛研究了间歇性禁食对健康的影响，包括睡眠和身体表现，但斋月期间其对认知功能的影响仍未得到充分研究。因此，本研究旨在评估斋月间歇性禁食对年轻女运动员心理运动和认知表现的影响。
为实现这一目的，23名年龄在17.2±0.5岁的女子手球运动员参与了一系列六次测试：一次在斋月前（R0）进行，其他几次分别在斋月的第一周（R1）、第二周（R2）、第三周（R3）和第四周（R4）进行，随后在斋月后的一周（R5）进行一次测试。每次测试都包括使用简单反应时测试（SRT）、选择反应时测试（CRT）、警觉性测试（VT）和心理旋转测试（MRT）进行评估。此外，在此期间还评估了饮食摄入、身体成分和匹兹堡睡眠质量指数（PSQI）得分。
获得的数据表明，与R0相比，R1期间SRT、CRT、VT和MRT的表现有所下降（均P <.001）。在R2、R3、R4和R5期间也观察到了这种下降。值得注意的是，在斋月的第四周（R4），这些认知和心理运动参数显著低于前几周（R1、R2、R3；均P <.001）。此外，在整个斋月期间观察到PSQI总分、睡眠质量和睡眠时间逐渐下降，在R4期间达到最低水平。这些发现表明，斋月间歇性禁食对年轻女运动员的神经肌肉和认知能力以及睡眠质量有显著的不利影响。该研究还突出了斋月四周内认知功能的波动模式，在禁食的最后一周观察到最明显的下降，这说明了对更大样本量的男女正常个体进行类似研究的重要性。
