Is carbohydrate mouth rinsing a novel approach to maintain exercise performance during Ramadan fasting?

About a decade ago, carbohydrate mouth rinsing was shown to enhance endurance exercise performance. This improvement was more pronounced in a fasted compared to a fed state, suggesting that the ergogenic effect of carbohydrate mouth rinse is dependent on endogenous carbohydrate storage. Hence, indirectly highlights the potential use of carbohydrate mouth rinse as a potential strategy to mitigate the adverse effects of exercise during Ramadan fasting. To date, only one study has been carried out to explore the potential benefit of carbohydrate mouth rinse on exercise performance during Ramadan fasting. This single observation showed that a 10-km time trial performance was enhanced when performing mouth rinsing with either a carbohydrate or a placebo solution as compared with not performing mouth rinsing. While one study had acknowledged that the practice of mouth rinsing do have a positive effect on exercise performance during Ramadan fasting, future studies is warranted in order to have a better understanding on the underlying mechanisms associated with carbohydrate mouth rinsing during Ramadan fasting

Effects of fasting during Ramadan month on cognitive function in Muslim athletes

Our study aimed to profile the effect of fasting during the Ramadan month on cognitive function in a group of healthy Muslim athletes. Eighteen male athletes underwent computerized neuropsychological testing during [fasting] and after [non-fasting] Ramadan. Diet was standardized, and tests were performed at 0900h and 1600h to characterize potential time-of-day [TOD] interactions. Psychomotor function [processing speed], vigilance [visual attention], visual learning and memory, working memory [executive function], verbal learning and memory were examined. Capillary glucose, body temperature, urine specific gravity, and sleep volume were also recorded. Fasting effects were observed for psychomotor function [Cohen's d=1.3, P=0.01] and vigilance [d=0.6, P=0.004], with improved performance at 0900h during fasting; verbal learning and memory was poorer at 1600h [d=-0.8, P=0.03]. A TOD effect was present for psychomotor function [d=-0.4, P<0.001], visual learning [d=-0.5, P=0.04], verbal learning and memory [d=-1.3, P=0.001], with poorer performances at 1600h. There was no significant fasting effect on visual learning and working memory. Our results show that the effect of fasting on cognition is heterogeneous and domain-specific. Performance in functions requiring sustained rapid responses was better in the morning, declining in the late afternoon, whereas performance in non-speed dependent accuracy measures was more resilient

Subjective perception of sports performance, training, sleep and dietary patterns of Malaysian junior Muslim athletes during Ramadan intermittent fasting

To examine the subjective perception of daily acute fasting on sports performance, training, sleep and dietary patterns of Muslim athletes during the Ramadan month. Seven hundred and thirty-four [411 male and 323 female] Malaysian Junior-level Muslim athletes [mean age 16.3 +/- 2.6 y] participated in the survey which was designed to establish the personal perception of their sport performance, sleep pattern, food and fluid intake during Ramadan fasting. The survey was conducted during and immediately after the month of Ramadan in 2009. Twenty-four percent of the athletes perceived that there was an adverse effect of the Ramadan fast on their sporting performance and 29.3% reported that quality of training during Ramadan was also negatively influenced. Majority [48.2%] of the athletes stated that Ramadan fasting did not affect their normal sleep pattern but 66.6% of them complained of sleepiness during the daytime. Half of the athletes [41.4%] maintained the caloric intake during Ramadan as they normally would with the majority of them [76.2%] reporting that they consumed more fluids during Ramadan. Overall, Malaysian Junior-level Muslim athletes showed diverse views in their perception of changes in their training, sleep and dietary patterns during Ramadan fast. These individual differences probably indicate differences in the athletes' adaptability and coping strategies during fasting and training in Ramadan

Dehydration rates and rehydration efficacy of water and sports drink during one hour of moderate intensity exercise in well-trained flatwater kayakers

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>The aim of this study is to investigate the amount of water loss and percentage dehydration experienced during 1 hour of paddling on the kayak ergometer so as to help coaches and athletes tailor a suitable and adequate rehydration regime. Also, rehydration efficacy between water and a well established, commercially available sports drink (Gatorade, Quaker Oats company, USA) was investigated in this cross-over study.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>Ten national flatwater kayakers were monitored in a controlled setting while paddling the kayak ergometer for 1 hour at an intensity sustainable for long distance marathon. They rehydrated themselves ad libitum with provided beverage. Post-void towel-dried body mass was measured before and after the exercise with percentage dehydration calculated. Body core temperature (tympanic temperatures), ratings of perceived exertion and thirst index were monitored every 15 minutes. The amount of fluid consumed, urine output and urine specific gravity were obtained after exercise.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results [mean +/- standard deviation (SD)] showed that kayakers underwent 1.10 +/- 0.52% dehydration while rehydrating with water as compared to 0.72 +/- 0.38% while rehydrating with Gatorade. Also, athletes on water rehydration had higher rating of perceived exertion (RPE) at the 30th and 60th minute mark of the exercise. Overall, athletes undergoing water rehydration lost significantly more body mass (0.70 +/- 0.39 kg) as compared to rehydrating with Gatorade (0.46 +/- 0.27).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Although the hydration efficacy of Gatorade proved superior to that of water, the athletes' hydration habits with either fluids did not provide adequate hydration. It is recommended that specific strategies be developed to address dehydration and rehydration issues of kayakers in Singapore.</p>

Modelling maximal oxygen uptake in athletes: allometric scaling versus ratio-scaling in relation to body mass

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>Maximal oxygen uptake, V&O2 peak, among athletes is an important foundation for all training programmes to enhance competition performance. In Singapore, the V& O2 peak of athletes is apparently not widely known. There is also controversy in the modelling or scaling of maximal oxygen uptake for differences in body size - the use of ratio-scaling remains common but allometric scaling is gaining acceptance as the method of choice.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>One hundred fifty-eight male (age, 21.7 +/- 4.9 years; body mass, 64.8 +/- 8.6 kg) and 28 female (age, 21.9 +/- 7.0 years; body mass, 53.0 +/- 7.0 kg) athletes completed a maximal treadmill run to volitional exhaustion, to determine VO2 peak.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>V& O2 peak in L/min of female athletes was 67.8% that of male athletes (2.53 +/- 0.29 vs. 3.73 +/- 0.53 L/min), and V& O2 peak in mL/kg BM1.0/min of female athletes was 83.4% of male athletes (48.4 +/- 7.2 vs. 58.0 +/- 6.9 mL/kg BM1.0/min). Ratio-scaling of V& O2 peak did not create a size-free variable and was unsuitable as a scaling method. Instead, V& O2 peak, that was independent of the effect of body mass in male and female athletes, was best described using 2 separate and allometrically-derived sex-specific regression equations; these were V& O2 peak = 2.23 BM0.67 for male athletes and V& O2 peak = 2.23 BM0.24 for female athletes.</p>