13 Concerns on Exercise & Weight Loss During the Fasting Month of Ramadan (My BFM89.9 Interview)

Last Thursday, 19 August 2010, I had the privilege once again to be on BFM89.9 on their segment, “The Bigger Picture” – this time, to go a little deeper on the topic of ‘Exercising/Weight loss during the Fasting Month of Ramadan‘.

To better understand the ‘fasted state’, I was actually on a 24-hour food fast during the interview (no food only, but zero calorie liquids allowed) – which somewhat allowed me to understand what it feels like to be on a fast, and to abstain from something so essential to our everyday life – food! I was basically following Brad Pilon’s “The Eat Stop Eat method” of using flexible, intermittent fasting as a style of fasting for weight loss and fat burning!”.

So today, for the benefit of those who are fasting and did not manage to catch me on air, below is a rough transcript of what we discussed (this blog post contains additional info that was not covered on air due to time constraints):

1. Is it safe to exercise while fasting?

For the healthy adult, yes. This may surprise many, but a research completed in 1987 found that a three-day fast (food only) had no negative effects on how strongly your muscles can contract, your ability to do short-term high intensity exercises, or your ability to exercise at moderate intensity for a long duration. So in terms of whether or not our bodies are capable – it actually is!

But Ramadan is also unique and unlike the typical fast some of us regularly undertake, as there is a prolonged absence of water – so now, what we are actually dealing with  is dehydration and it’s effects. So this is what we need to watch out for.  Like I always remind my clients who exercise when fasting – that this isn’t the time to set a new world record. We simply need to be a bit more cautious then we usually are, and listen to our bodies.

2. What are the benefits of exercising during Ramadhan?

To me, and from an exercise/fitness standpoint, there are 2 things:
1) Maintaining the habit/lifestyle
Exercise is a habit – and maintaining one’s routine during the fasting month is a good way to reinforce that habit – especially if you’re someone who is struggling to keep to a routine or trying to manage bodyweight.. the last thing they need is a 1-month complete stop on their routine. 30 days later, it’s gonna be so hard to kick-start everything again.

2) It can be a good time to lose weight
It’s only natural that most people would actually lose some weight during the fasting month because ‘technically speaking’, one should be eating less food.

3. Have your Muslim members joined the Body Transformation Camp since the start of the fasting month? What were your observations?

Yes – in fact, almost all of my Muslim participants in the camp are still in the program – and you know, last week, they really amazed me. I think some of them even amazed themselves. We didn’t really tone down the intensity of the workouts, but I found that all those who were fasting did fine – in fact, some of them seemed more focused, and more full of energy, and ‘drive’ than they usually did!

4. Does one have less energy when fasting?

We need to know that our bodies are actually designed to handle fasting – while we modern humans have full access to 3 square meals and drinks per day, there are animals in the wild that only eat when food is available – and the speculation is that this is how our ancestors would have eaten as well. In other words – our bodies are designed to handle this kind of ‘stress’. From what I’ve experienced from my own 24-hour food fast, and based on the feedback I get from my Muslim clients who still exercise – it’s not so much the lack of energy that you experience, but it’s more of the thirst that gets to you, so once again, it’s the effects of dehydration that we want to look out for. But yes, it is going to feel pretty uncomfortable because we’re not used to it.

I did a brief survey with my Muslim clients who I work 1-on-1 with, and also with participants from my Body Transformation Camp, and here’s what I found – the results may surprise you!

5. Is it a good time to lose weight?

Yes it can be, provided that:
a. One takes the effort to maintain an exercise routine during the fasting month
b. One does not over-indulge after sunset, and end-up consuming more calories then they usually would.

More interestingly, here’s an interesting little ‘side effect’ of fasting, which I personally experienced as a result of my 24-hour food fast: I believe that fasting can help you learn what it feels like to be REALLY hungry. Hear me out here.

You see, many of us no longer recognise the difference between psychological hunger (which can come from boredom, the need for an emotional ‘release’, etc) and physiological hunger (which is the body’s actual need for food). – and that’s a really awesome thing to learn. You’ll be surprised how many times you reach for something to eat when you aren’t actually hungry. The culprit is usually emotional, lifestyle, or even situational triggers which have nothing to do with your actual NEED for food.

6. Does exercising during the fasting month increase fat utilisation?

Yes, fasting does have positive effects on fat burning. Fat is your body’s energy reserves – in fact, if you think about it, the very fact that our bodies are designed to store up reserves as fat, is proof that we are designed to go for long periods without food. Exercising in a fasted state can force your body to burn these reserves faster than usual – since there is a lack of energy from your meals, you body has no choice but to tap onto it’s reserves, which is fat.

7. Do we lose muscle mass when we exercise while fasting?

The fast during Ramadan is from sunrise to sunset, and I believe that this isn’t long enough to cause your body to want to cannibalize on it’s own muscle tissue to the point where it does any harm.

1. Firstly, your body stores energy in the form of glycogen in our muscle tissues – and this is used when you exercise – our bodies can store enough to last us for about an hour

2. Secondly, we have our fat reserves that you body can tap into.

3. Thirdly, even if it does happen (lose muscle mass), it’s going to be at a point where the benefits of the fast and maintaining an exercise routine still outweigh the concern of losing muscle mass.

I believe the fear of ‘losing muscle mass’ can be partially blamed on the entire health/bodybuilding supplement industry which tries to strike fear that you’re going to lose plenty of muscle if you don’t keep eating (their products!).

8. What are the do’s and don’ts if one chooses to exercise during the fasting month?

Do’s:
- Do pay attention to how you feel – look out for things like fatigue, weakness, muscle cramps, headaches, nausea – which are all actually symptoms of dehydration
- Do exercise as close as possible to sunset – so you can break fast almost immediately after your workout. This makes it much easier on you both mentally and physically (as you get to drink immediately after)

Dont’s
- Don’t try to set any world records :-)
- Don’t exercise under extreme heat (adds to the dehydration)

9. Usually it is said that never exercise after eating or drinking something. So when does one exercise when fasting?

Actually you can exercise after eating – as long as you didn’t eat too much and have allowed about an hour or two to pass. During the fasting month, I would recommend that you exercise right before sunset, so you can break fast immediately post-workout. If that ‘s not convenient, then the next best option would be to do it a couple of hours after you have had your meal – though the usual feedback I get from people is that they don’t feel like doing it already by then!

10.  What happens if you over-exercise?

Again, the concern here is dehydration. Overdo it, and you may experience the symptoms discussed above.

11.  What types of aerobic activity would you recommend?

Walking, jogging, group exercise classes at the gym, even strength training – they’re all fine. Remember to stay out of the heat. Basically, do what you’ve been doing – but try not to overdo the intensity and listen to your body. Stop if it doesn’t feel right.

Like I mentioned above, all the Muslim campers at my Transformation Camp are still maintaining their workout routine – and they are doing just fine. Of course, they have the advantage of being under my constant supervision while exercising. I shared about how my Muslim Campers from my Transformation Camp amazed me in my previous blog post over here. :-)

12.  What about those who have not been exercising consistently and decide they want to go all out during the fasting month especially to lose weight?

Yes, there are many who take this approach – and in my opinion, it is a recipe for disaster simply because the entire approach to weight management is wrong. This is the ‘quick-fix’, ‘short-cut’ mentality, which may show you great results for that 30 days, but will wreak havoc in your physique once you’re off the fast. The better approach is a more gradual one, and one that addresses the real problem – which is poor lifestyle and eating habits.

13. Will you regain the weight loss once the fasting month is over?

If one were to continue and maintain their exercise routine beyond the fasting month, and eat sensibly – there’s no reason why they would gain the weight back. A weight rebound often happens when people starve themselves too much and severely restrict their calories for a long duration of time, only to go back to poor eating habits and over-indulge after the fast is over (e.g. to ‘reward’ one self for having fasted for 30 days). There’s a difference between starving, and fasting. I believe that a healthy fast will make you a better person – both mentally, and physically.

Do you have any comments/feedback on your experience while exercising during fasting? This is a great place to share those thoughts – Just leave a comment below! :-)

=> Enroll for our September 2010 FREE TRIALS NOW (Limited Spaces Available, as our TTDI Sessions are almost jam-packed!)

This post was written by...

Noel Chelliah

Noel Chelliah, ACE-CPT, ACE-LWMC, has been recognized as one of the Top Transformation Experts in Malaysia. No stranger to being overweight himself, Noel has gone through a life-changing transformation himself, from fat, to fit. In 2010, Noel founded the DailyMuscle Body Transformation Camp, which today helps hundreds of individuals exercise and practice healthier habits. In his spare time, Noel serves the community with various programs that promote a healthier lifestyle, and enjoys playing with his dogs.