What to Consider When Running During Ramadan – Runner’s World

Ramadan is an Islamic month in which Muslims around the world fast from dawn to sunset. This type of fast is different from intermittent fasting in that most of the fasting hours are during the day. In addition, water, medications, or supplements are off-limits during the fasting window.

If you’re running during Ramadan and following the fast for 30 days throughout the Islamic holiday, here’s how the lack of food and water can influence your regular routine. Use these tips to learn how to safely run during Ramadan and what considerations to keep in mind when doing so.

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The Impact Ramadan Fasting Has on Endurance

There have been numerous studies conducted to understand the impact of Ramadan fasting on endurance performance. Research has looked at different types of endurance challenges including middle-distance running, as well as soccer, in which runners stop and go.

Some research shows that there is a small negative impact on performance, including one study involving 10 Muslim men that found that those who did not fast ran farther during a 30-minute time trial than those who did fast. Other research says fasting for Ramadan could affect performance and is important when planning a training schedule, while another study shows no difference in performance when fasting.

This means that despite fasting for 14 to 17 hours (depending on where you are in the world, as well as the time of year), you can still continue running during Ramadan. That’s not to say this is the best time to set personal records, but you can take this time to focus on more fundamental aspects of your training routine, like incorporating and addressing stability, overall strength, and mobility in addition to regular running. Factors such as nutrition, sleep, and hydration also have a significant impact on your performance, energy and how you feel, in general, while fasting.

How to Plan Your Running Schedule During Ramadan

When creating the optimal running schedule during Ramadan, it is important to take into account when you plan on running, how many times a week you plan on running, and your goals. In terms of goals, using this month to focus on consistency and incorporating strength training to focus on major muscle groups would be the ideal objectives.

Here’s what to consider when it comes to planning your running and fasting:

The Time of Day You Run

There are pros and cons to running at different times throughout the day while fasting. Running earlier in the day may mean you have more energy, however, you would not have access to food or water for several hours, making it quite challenging for people to continue on with their day.

The most common time to run during Ramadan would be right before opening the fast, about an hour before sunset. While there will be water and food available immediately after, this is also at the end of a long fast, which means energy levels and capacity to run may be lower.

Another option is running after breaking the fast. The downside here: It gets quite late and it can be challenging to run on a full stomach. In addition, there are usual community, family, and spiritual obligations at this time during Ramadan.

The bottom line: Figure out what works best for you. It might take some trial and error to see when you have the most energy, but there’s no real right or wrong time to run during Ramadan, as long as you feel good and ready to clock miles. It might also help you maintain consistency if you figure out that best time of day and then stick with it through the 30 days.

How Many Days Per Week You Run

When deciding how many times a week you plan on running, it is important to look at what your running schedule looked like before Ramadan. You wouldn’t want to increase your running distance during this time, but instead match it or even scale it back a bit.

Pairing your runs with strength training is a great way to work on major muscle groups while maintaining a regular running routine. Swapping a few of your runs for strength sessions also means you’re not focusing on cardio exercise (which requires more energy and typically, a bigger calorie burn), but still maintaining your fitness.

Other Factors to Address When Running During Ramadan

Nutrition

There are two main opportunities to eat in Ramadan: suhoor and iftar. Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, is the last opportunity to nourish your body before going into a long fast. Consuming protein, whole-grain carbohydrates, and fruits and veggies is going to help you feel energized throughout your fast.

Iftar, the evening meal, is often consumed with family and friends in a social setting, making it challenging to make healthier choices. At this meal, be mindful of portion sizes as well as quality of food, again focusing on whole grains, lean protein, fruits, and vegetables. This will help you stay energized throughout the month. While cultural food can and should be enjoyed, avoid overindulging in fried foods which can make you feel more lethargic.

Hydration

It is important to drink the same amount of water on a fasting day as you would on a non-fasting day. This means figuring out how much water you need on a regular basis and then splitting it up between suhoor time, iftar time, and post-iftar time.

Sleep

The biggest challenge in Ramadan (besides not eating) is the interrupted sleep due to the eating and fasting schedule. Taking some time to figure out how you will address your sleep will have a huge impact on your training as well.

Creating a Ramadan-specific sleep routine will be helpful. This includes avoiding consuming caffeine at night, not overeating, and instead winding down with an herbal tea and avoiding screen time.

Despite nighttime sleep being interrupted, waking up for suhoor (the pre-dawn meal) is important for an energized fast. To make up for this sub-optimal sleep pattern, a quick nap in your fasting day can do wonders!

The Bottom Line on How to Run Safely During Ramadan

You can safely run during Ramadan and while fasting through careful planning and strategy. Addressing factors such as nutrition, hydration, and sleep can make all the difference in overall endurance performance, run ability, and energy.

Listening to your body is critical in staying safe and healthy throughout the month of Ramadan. Look out for signs such as feeling lightheaded, cramping, or feeling unwell while running or throughout your fast. This may be a sign that you need to make adjustments to your nutrition, hydration, and training schedule. Ensuring your nutrition and hydration is optimal is really the key to minimizing the risk of adverse effects of running while fasting.

is a registered dietitian and nutritionist with a master’s degree in public health. She is a two-time author of , a food journal, and The Healthy Ramadan Guide. She has been featured in CNN, CBC, Canadian Living, Self magazine, and The New York Times. Her philosophy is to live a healthy lifestyle that includes enjoying all foods, as well as enjoying being physically active. Instead of focusing on restriction, she teaches clients which foods they should be adding to improve their lives.