Started since March 23 this year, Ramadan concerns several players in the NBA. If fasting is above all a religious tradition, it is – for top athletes – a real physical challenge. The big league is no exception to this rule, being very intense and requiring an ultra elaborate routine. So how do NBA athletes combine performance with respect for faith?
A month during which it is forbidden to eat and drink between sunrise and sunset, a month of drastic change in the habits of NBA players of the Muslim faith to respect their faith. Ramadan is practiced by several league figures, such as Kyrie Irving and Jaylen Brown to name a few. This year again, the month will include the start of the Playoffs. At a time when the league is putting on its best clothes and the intensity on the field is increasing, the challenge is all the greater.
One could say that such an upheaval in daily eating habits could only lead to a drop in performance. This is partly true, but it does not apply to the whole month. Accustomed to keeping special diets and precise routines, NBA sports organizations adapt very quicklyaccording to specialist Qanta Ahmed, a doctor at the Long Island School of Medicine who has studied the impact of fasting on high-level athletes.
“Adjustment is quick because once they [les joueurs] have established a routine, which includes sleep, calories and limited hydration…the shock on their body is mainly in the first week. Beyond that, the body adapts quickly and everything goes quite well” – Qanta Ahmed
Overtrained, athletes therefore take the shock well. This does not prevent sometimes breaking the fast to regain calories. This was particularly the case of Kyrie Irving last year, with a banana. The Muslim faith does not consider Ramadan as a sanction but as a proof of faith, eating during the day is not systematically seen as a fault from a religious point of view. Circumstances must prevail. Qanta Ahmed also expresses himself in this sense.
“You have to understand that Ramadan is not supposed to be strenuous, and if athletes feel they are tired, hungry or thirsty, it impairs their performance. Their job is to perform in sport. So it’s a personal decision.” – Qanta Ahmed
And athletes, what do they think? For Kyrie Irving, it is above all important from a religious point of view. The player recognizes that it is a physical challenge, but knowing that he is supported by an entire community helps him a lot. He also confided in 2021 that he was not looking for excuses in his fast to justify any possible lower performance.
“I am not alone in this ordeal. Yes I do Ramadan, like many of my Muslim brothers and sisters. It’s a real challenge, that’s all I can say. I have to stay committed to my faith in God…but I also have to keep doing my job. It’s the right thing to do and I’m just happy to do Ramadan with my community” – Kyrie Irving
Now, if we take the case of Jaylen Brown, another player performing Ramadan, we realize that the statistical contributions in the past year are not falling compared to the rest of the season, whether it’s minutes on the pitch or points. Of course, it is difficult to generalize the impact of an individualized practice. There are many factors to take into account: overall fatigue, nutritional habits outside of Ramadan, adaptation of the body… but also mental strength. In his time, Hakeem Olajuwon spoke for the Los Angeles Times a feeling of better physical shape due to the practice of religious fasting.
I really feel better. Lighter, faster, and more focused. When God prescribes something for you, it is in your best interest” – Hakeem Olajuwon, 1996.
For Enes Kanter, who also performs Ramadan, on the contrary, playing is something that distracts from the desire to eat or drink. A way to focus on the game, in its own way. The aim is also to set an example for the youngest.
“Once the game starts, you don’t think you’re thirsty anymore, you don’t think you’re hungry anymore […] I want to be an example for the kids, showing them that you can succeed by being challenged, through Ramadan fasting, for example, but especially by doing it during the NBA Playoffs” – Enes Kanter
What can we conclude from this? That performing at the highest level while respecting such a religious tradition is a very high level challenge. The reward is all the more beautiful for the believers who perform it: strengthening their faith while helping the team. However, we also realize that there is no universal truth concerning the adaptation of organisms to the practice of fasting. Each body manages as best it can, and one suspects that what counts in the end is above all to do the best in the best respect of one’s personal convictions.
Source : ESPN, Los Angeles Times, NPR.org.