Athletes readjust to fasting month

NATIONAL athletes are still carrying on with their training routines in the fasting month.

Sepak takraw player Farhan Adam, 28, said fasting is not an excuse to skip training as he is a national athlete.

“My friends and I carry on with training as usual except that we shorten it to four or five hours a day.

“We train for about an hour before buka puasa and at night after performing tarawih prayers, from 11pm to 2am,” said Farhan, who trains five times a week.

Farhan would ensure that he did not miss sahur (pre-dawn meal) so as to have the energy to undergo physical training.

Fencer Natasha Ezzra Abu Bakar is no stranger to training during Ramadan as she has been doing so since she was 14.

The 26-year-old has been training at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil every Ramadan since, but things are a little different this year.

“For the first time ever, I had the opportunity to undergo training in Ramadan in South Korea and was simply thrilled with the experience,” she said.

Dietetics and Food Services Department Head of Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Ridzoni Sulaiman said that athletes training during the fasting month should be selective in their sahur and buka puasa meals as their body use up more energy than a non-athlete.

He recommended high-fibre foods like vegetables and fruits, foods with low glycaemic index (GI) like wholegrain bread, oats and rice with meat and vegetable, and dates due to its low GI and high nutrients. Bernama