The month of Ramadan is upon us, and the schedule of soccer matches is uncharacteristically dragged out until the twilight grows old.
Exploring the far-reaching effects of Ramadan on Muslim footballers
Islam, a major player in the world's religious landscape, has more than 1.5 billion believers. Where Islamic culture thrives, so does the game of soccer. While Muslim players enjoy the passion of soccer, they also have to face the challenges of Ramadan, the month of fasting. According to Islamic law, during Ramadan, from sunrise to sunset, believers are required to abstain from food and water, not even swallowing saliva. Such a lifestyle undoubtedly has a significant impact on the human body. Over the years, numerous studies have been conducted on the performance of Muslim players during the month of Ramadan.
Soccer is not just about playing, it's about living life to the fullest.
One might wonder: does playing soccer even involve eating, drinking, and sleeping for the players? In fact, these physiological needs are crucial in modern sports science. As a result, modern sports teams are equipped with nutritionists, fitness coaches and psychological advisors, and some countries even form specialized dietary teams. All of this suggests that physiological research and management is an integral part of modern sport.
A game is not won or lost by a single factor
It must be clear that a match is not won or lost by a single factor. Just like the eleven players on the pitch, victory or defeat is not due to a single reason, such as "poor play by the right back" or "rain on the day". Winning or losing is the result of a combination of many factors, including morale, spirit, physical fitness, condition, tactics, weather, clinical play, substitution strategies and even luck. In order to increase the probability of winning, it is necessary to understand and fully utilize these factors.
As a result, the Islamic world and even FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) have invested a great deal of effort in recent years to study the effects of the month of Ramadan on Muslim players. In high-level competition, even a 2% or 1% difference can be the difference between winning and losing. We emphasize that the month of Ramadan should not be used as an excuse for matches, but professional teams will certainly take its impact into full consideration.
Muslim players say Ramadan month doesn't affect fitness
In Taiwan, many caregivers of Islamic faith, during the month of Ramadan, when asked if it would affect their physical fitness, generally stated that it would not. Of course, when Muslim players were asked, they held the same view. This is because, firstly, fasting is a habit that Muslims have grown up with, experience every year, and do not find anything special about it. Secondly, they practice Islam and are unlikely to criticize their faith. Thirdly, human feelings are not reliable and the physical effects need to be confirmed by scientific data.
Visual judgment is unreliable, physical fitness needs professional assessment
Some may say that I see players in good shape on the field. Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that a player's fitness can be judged by the naked eye alone. There may be a variety of reasons for a player's change in running speed, including under-performance, injury, fatigue, return to form, over-exertion, tactical arrangement or personal physical conditioning. Therefore, visual judgment is not a professional indication of fitness.
Scientific data is a reliable basis for assessing the impact of Ramadan on players
To assess the impact of Ramadan on players, we should focus on medical evidence rather than match data. An increase in the number of times a player touches the ball is not direct evidence of improved fitness. Physical condition may affect performance, but a good or bad performance is not proof of good or bad fitness. The number of touches on the pitch may be affected by factors such as the opposition, tactics and the pitch. What can be directly proven is the physical phenomenon of the player.
How does the month of Ramadan actually affect players physiologically?
