Ramadan 2012 presents challenges for fitness and Olympic athletes

Over 3,000 Muslim athletes are grappling with observing Ramadan while competing in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Ramadan, the Islamic Holy month, requires all observant Muslims to fast during daylight hours which places a particular burden on those competing in elite sport

Some competitors draw spiritual strength from their fasting saying that Ramadan improves discipline and focus, and therefore enhances their performance.

When Ramadan coincided with the Moscow Olympics in 1980, Tanzanian track star Suleiman Nyambui took silver in the 5,000 metres while fasting, famously stating "once you decide to do something, Allah is behind you."

However, religious authorities have encouraged athletes to eat and drink with clerics in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates agreeing that exemptions from the Quran apply to Olympic athletes.

Sheikh Ali Gomaa, grand mufti of Egypt, emphasises "if one is ill or travelling, an equal number of other days may be substituted." (Quran 2:184).

Mohamed Sbihi, Britain's first Muslim rower, is taking a different approach. A practicing Muslim, Sbihi has elected to buy 1,800 meals for Moroccan street children in place of risking his own Olympic dream, as well as those of the seven other men in his boat.

Sbihi told London newspaper The Daily Mail "It is written in the Quran that those who are unable to fast either have to feed 60 people or fast for 30 days for every day that they miss intentionally.

"That worked out at 1,800 people or five years of fasting."

Morocco's Olympic football team - used to playing during Ramadan - has decided to fast together, against the behest of their coach, Pim Verbeek.

Goalkeeper Yassine Bounou told AFP, "we must fast because this is an obligation and I think that God will help us on the day of the games."

Other athletes have adjusted their schedules for Ramadan. Judo star Hamid Alderei is training only after dusk, even if the long days of the English summer means that dusk arrives around 9pm. Egyptian sailor Ahmed Habash has remedied this problem by fasting according to sunset in Egypt; he can eat starting at 7pm.

Coaches have found it difficult to persuade athletes not to fast, but some have come to the conclusion on their own.

For Jordanian marathon-runner Methkal Abu Drais, fasting while training proved impossible. He told the AFP "I tried after I arrived in London to train while I was fasting but I realized it is very, very difficult because I'm taking part in a race that needs a lot of energy."

The Olympic Village is ready to accommodate the athletes, whatever their decision. They have provided quiet rooms for prayer, halal food, and have dieticians on staff to plan meals for the athletes.

For non-elite athletes and those who remain active, Ramadan, sometimes seen as a time to become lazy, can make it difficult to adhere to a fitness regime.

At Abu Dhabi's Al Wahda Health Club Health and Recreation Director Joanna Thorpe explains "the number of people exercising at (fitness and) sports clubs decreases by 50% ... compared to non-Ramadan days."

However, exercise through Ramadan does have benefits with people able to use Ramadan as a chance to change their lifestyles and adopt a healthier approach to living.

Abu Dhabi University Sports Coordinator Ahmad Al Sawwaf told Gulf News "practising sports during Ramadan forces the body to burn gained calories, lose weight, shape the body and retain fitness.

Al Sawwaf recommends jogging or walking for 30 minutes before or after iftar (the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during Ramadan) and suggests drinking a lot of water to avoid dehydration especially during the summer.

He adds "a heavy workout is not recommended before iftar because the body lacks water at this time of the day.

"I would advise people to end their fast with a glass of water and some dates rather than starting with the main dish directly, as this helps to increase the ... 

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