The effects of fasting in Ramadan

Abstract

I. Fluid intake, urine output and evaporative water loss were measured and fluid balance calculated in sixteen subjects for I d before Ramadan, during weeks 1-5 of fasting and on the 10th day after the end of Ramadan.2. Plasma osmolality at 06.00 hours, the beginning of the fast, at 18.00 hours, before breaking the fast and at 19.00 hours, I h after breaking the fast, and urine osmolality during the day and night were measured before, during and after Ramadan.3. All subjects developed an initial negative fluid balance which was maximum at the beginning of week 3 of fasting and that deficit was compensated for during the later weeks.4. Compensation was brought about by an increase in urine concentration, a decrease in urine volume by day, and salt retention.5. No significant changes were observed in plasma osmolality during the days of fasting and the 'setting' of plasma osmolality during Ramadan also was not changed.6. It was concluded that healthy young adults maintain good control of fluid and electroytes during Ramadan.During the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan millions of moslems in the tropics abstain, among other things, from drinking and eating from dawn to sunset. At night they take fluids and meals rich in carbohydrates.McCance & Widdowson (1937) described the responses of human volunteers-to dehydration during salt depletion. Haberner, Dashe & Solomon (1964) investigated1the responses of normal subjects to prolonged high fluid intake. Veverbrants & Arky (1969) and Chinn, Brown, Fraser, Heron, Lever, Murchison & Robertson (1970) studied the effects of energy deprivation and refeeding on water and electrolyte excretion in subjects maintained on a constant electrolyte and fluid intake. As far as we know, the pattern in Ramadan of 12 h energy deprivation and dehydration followed by 12 h of refeeding and rehydration, over a period of 30 d, has not been studied before.In this paper we will report on the fluid and electrolyte homoeostasis; effects of fasting Ramadan on plasma lipids and uric acid have been reported separately (Gumaa, Mustafa, Mahmoud & Gader, 1978).Sixteen male Sudanese students aged 20-22 years, all healthy as evident by medical history and clinical examination, volunteered for this study. They were all conscientious moslems who observed fasting rigidly. They were all studied on the day before Ramadan (week 0) and then divided into two groups, one studied on the 1st day and the other on the 3rd day of every week of fasting. Because of the small number of subjects investigated the results * Present address:

Effects of Motor Mental Imagery Training on Tennis Service Performance during the Ramadan Fasting: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

“…The decrease in athletic performance could also be partially attributed to hypo-hydration during training due to the restriction of water intake during Ramadan [32,46,47]. Hypo-hydration may also be responsible for the decrease in performance of tennis service observed during the month of Ramadan.…”

Ramadan fasting in kidney transplant recipients with normal renal function and with mild-to-moderate renal dysfunction

“…If patients develop high levels of creatinine, they should end the fast immediately. Fluid deprivation may cause renal dysfunction and worsen existing renal impairment [10]; thus, patients should drink sufficient water between iftar and sleep to avoid dehydration and renal hypoperfusion. Patients should be educated about recognizing the warning symptoms of dehydration, e.g., weight loss, and about breaking fast as soon as any complication occurs.…”

The Effects of Ramadan Fasting on the Spirometric Data of Healthy Adult Males

“…In a globalized society, physicians may be consulted by Muslim patients with chronic diseases such as respiratory disorders who intend or insist on fasting during Ramadan (Al Wakeel et al, 2013). Nevertheless, in healthy subjects, while several studies have observed the effects of RF on body functions, such as weight, biological data (e. g., fluid and electrolyte balance, lipid levels, glucose metabolism, immunity system), sleep, and exercise (Husain, Duncan, Cheah, & Ch’ng, 1987; Margaria, Taglietti, & Agostoni, 1957; Mustafa, Mahmoud, Gumaa, & Gader, 1978; Shepard, Campbell, Martin, & Enns, 1957; Shephard, 2014; Trabelsi, Stannard, Shephard, Jamoussi, & Hakim, 2014), only a few studies have investigated its effects on spirometric data (Abdel-aziz & Ibraheem, 2008; Duncan, Husain, Raman, Cheah, & Ch’ng, 1990; Moosavi, Kabir, Moghimi, Chehrei, & Rad, 2007; Roy & Bandyopadhyay, 2016; Siddiqui, Sabir, & Subhan, 2005; Subhan, Siddiqui, Khan, & Sabir, 2006). The latter studies have some discrepancies in the findings concerning the effects of RF on pulmonary flows and/or volumes of healthy individuals.…”