On fasting, workout during Ramzan

It is best to work out an hour after breaking fast with a light meal or an hour before morning meal.

Should one workout when on fast during Ramzan? If you’re a diabetic, can you fast? Health experts say both workout and diabetics fasting are possible with some careful considerations.

Sports medicine professionals say that workout should be done with extreme caution with an eye on hydration levels. “Regulars at gyms should also start slowly before they increase intensity and keep cardio to a minimum. Ideally, they should work out at lower intensity and volume than days when they do not fast. For those who are not used to regular workout, it is best avoid starting while on fast,” said Sharat Kumar, Sport Medicine Consultant at Apollo Hospitals.

He added that it is best to work out an hour after breaking fast with a light meal or an hour before the morning meal, which incidentally is the most common practise in gyms of the city.

The belief

Fasting during Ramzan is one of pillars of Islamic faith, required of every Muslim if health permits it. While many with conditions like diabetes, often forego fasting, doctors say a consultation with the physician can often reveal a sugar management that can help a diabetic also endure a fast. However, complications like renal and heart problems can make management of the condition difficult, thus often warranting advice against fasting.

Low blood sugar levels

“The key is to prevent hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar levels during fasting period. While any advice cannot be applied to all diabetics, fasting is possible if a diabetic’s sugar levels are well-managed before the onset of a fast,” said Srirang Abkari, an Internal Medicine Consultant at Global Hospitals.

Dr. Abkari adds that fasting is generally discouraged for type 1 diabetics but type-2 diabetics managing their blood sugar levels with just food, medication or some insulin can undertake fast.

He also suggested consumption of complex carbohydrate foods in lieu of foods rich in sugars.

Similar thoughts were echoed by Rakesh Kumar Sahay of Osmania Medical College in a journal published earlier this year.

Dr. Sahay had suggested that a pre-medical assessment, ideally two to three months before onset of fast, should be undergone, while adding that newer advances like insulin pumps and analogs combined with improved patient education and awareness have helped even those with Type 1 diabetes to fast during Ramzan