Chronotype, Aerobic Performance, and Sleep Quality of Young Athletes Before and During Ramadan Observance

Abstract

Background and Objective Intermittent fasting has become a popular topic in recent years, with many people turning to this dietary approach to improve their health and manage their weight. It has also been studied for its potential impact on various aspects of health, including sleep and physical performance. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of intermittent fasting during Ramadan and chronotype on sleep quality and aerobic performance in young athletes.Methods This study is a prospective cohort design with repeated measurements, including 117 amateur athletes (16.86 ± 1.07 years) from Morocco. The aerobic performance was measured with the 20-m shuttle-run test. We also assessed sleep quality with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The chronotype was assessed by the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire. We examined the difference in means before and during Ramadan; then, we analyzed the correlation between all variables.Results The current study showed that while aerobic performance and sleep quality declined during Ramadan, those with good sleep quality performed better in all periods. It also showed that chronotype is correlated with the aerobic performance before but not during Ramadan. However, the chronotype is associated with the sleep quality before and during Ramadan.Conclusions During Ramadan, athletes must build coping strategies to improve their sleep quality and maintain optimal physical performance.