Fasting soccer players in the World Cup!

The holy month of Ramadan is approaching, and this year’s World Cup matches are approaching! How can the Muslim World Cup players combine the performance of this cult, which is one of the main pillars of the "fasting" religion while maintaining at the same time a superior and high-level athletic performance ?!


Fasting is an essential pillar of Islam and has a great credit for the human body and soul, and this year, the holy month of Ramadan will coincide with the World Cup 2014 matches that will be held in Brazil on June 12, and a good number of Muslim players such as a football player will certainly participate The famous French footballer Franck Ribery, French player Eric Abidal, and many of the players of the Algerian national team and the Iranian team and others, and here are many questions about how to agree between performing the cult of fasting and playing sports to the fullest and superiority without affecting the level of play, and we have seen many previous games that participated in A Muslim players and they scored to win fasting.
And proper nutrition has a prominent and important role in the matter of improving the efficiency of athletes and providing them with the energy needed to perform physical efforts and improve their performance and their ability to endure, and of course it has a major role in reducing injuries resulting from fatigue. So, how does the football player fit between fasting and take enough food to prepare him for the physical effort during Ramadan? Here are the most important following tips:

Determining the quantity, quality, and calorie requirements of a player are related to the amount of daily energy consumed and consumed, and his daily needs of various nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and liquids.
Nutrition before, during and after matches in general is very important to compensate for the fluids and nutrients that the body loses, knowing during Ramadan these quantities can be compensated and the necessary precautions taken in the period between breakfast and suhoor.
A soccer player usually consumes approximately 45-60 calories per kilogram of his body a day.
Carbohydrates, which are the main source of energy, should constitute approximately 60-70% of the total daily caloric intake of a soccer player.
Usually, in normal days, the player is advised to eat his main meal 3-4 hours before the game, provided that the focus is on carbohydrates that will form at least 60%, away from high foods with difficult to digest proteins and foods high in fat and pans that may cause indigestion and upset in stomach .
On fasting days, it is advised to focus on the period of suhoor on proteins and their sources such as: meat, eggs, milk and its derivatives and legumes, as it needs a longer period of digestion, which will help the body to increase the period of feeling full during the day. It is usually preferred to choose sources of low-fat and low-protein proteins, and focus on beneficial fats and others Saturated like in olive oil and nuts.
Suhoor meal is recommended to focus on eating complex carbohydrates made from whole grains and high in fiber such as: oats, corn flakes (breakfast cereals) made with whole grains, brown bread, brown rice, bulgur, and frica, as the process of digesting them is slower than other starches and maintains the level of sugar in the blood Within the normal range and for a longer period.
The daily and necessary needs of liquids and water should be drunk, so that the player must consume approximately 470-950 ml of water or sports drinks at intervals and gradually between the breakfast period and the period of suhoor, with drinking approximately 240-470 ml over the period of suhoor and before constipation, To ensure that the necessary fluid needs are taken and to prevent dehydration.
Avoid eating salty foods such as salty cheeses, pickles, olives, and foods preserved in salt, during breakfast or pre-match hours, so that you do not feel thirsty during fasting and the match.
The player should avoid consuming caffeine sources from coffee, soft drinks, etc. during a period of not less than 72 hours before the game, as it is a diuretic and will lead to fluid loss from the body.
The weight of the athlete must be measured before and after the workout or the match, in order to know the amount of fluid lost, so that one liter of fluid is replaced per kilogram of weight lost. It should be noted that the loss of fluids from the player’s body is not limited only during the period of physical exertion, but rather continues thereafter through sweating and urination, and for this he must continue to replace fluids after the game or training.
It is best to resort to athletes ’drinks rich in simple carbohydrates, salts and minerals, and not for energy-rich stimulants.
It is preferable before the match to avoid any effort or activity that may lead to increased sweating, such as saunas, sauna and prolonged exposure to the sun.
In matches or exercises that extend for more than an hour, especially that may follow the breakfast period, it is possible to resort to drinks rich in carbohydrates, salts and sports drinks, which will maintain blood sugar levels and help to increase endurance and reduce fatigue and stress and work to compensate for fluids and salt that the body loses through sweating .
In the event that the body loses more than two liters of fluids, it is advised to focus on replacing salts and sodium in addition to the lost fluids, and that is possible by using sports drinks and saline solutions for treating dehydration and eating foods rich in sodium.
It is preferable not to perform exercises and exercises immediately after breakfast and full stomach, because this will work to upset the stomach and difficulty in playing, but there must be a period of not less than 3-4 hours, and if it is necessary to match or exercise after breakfast, it is preferable to choose breakfast Light is rich in complex and simple carbohydrates that are far from protein and saturated fats.
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