# Differential effects of intermittent anaerobic exercise on haematological parameters during and outside Ramadan

## TL;DR

This study shows that intermittent anaerobic exercise during Ramadan fasting causes significant changes in blood parameters in young male athletes.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is identifying specific haematological changes during Ramadan fasting combined with anaerobic exercise in athletes.

## Key findings

- Exercise during Ramadan significantly reduced lymphocytes, granulocytes, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and RBC count.
- Intermediate blood cell percentages increased during Ramadan exercise.
- No significant changes were observed outside of Ramadan fasting.

## Abstract

Fasting and exercise induce variable physiological changes depending on exercise intensity and nutritional state. Ramadan fasting, with its specific dietary restrictions, presents a unique context for evaluating these effects.

This study aimed to assess the effect of intermittent anaerobic lactic exercise on variations in haematological parameters in male university athletes.

Healthy male university sports students, participated in the study, performing intermittent anaerobic lactic exercise before and during Ramadan fasting.

Ten healthy male university sports students (mean age 18.7 ± 0.6 years) were tested before and after a 30-min basketball game, during Ramadan and in a non-fasting period, with leukocytes (three indicators), red blood cell (RBC) (three indicators) and platelets (two indicators) parameters measured. Data were analysed using two-way analysis of variance to evaluate the effects of fasting, exercise, and their interaction.

The main results of our study showed that lymphocyte percentages decreased (p < 0.005, –26.84%), granulocyte percentages decreased (p < 0.005, –4.09%), haematocrit decreased (p < 0.005, –20.05%), haemoglobin decreased (p < 0.005, –18.02%), and RBC count decreased (p < 0.005, –15.9%) with exercise during Ramadan fasting. However, the percentage of intermediate cells parameter (percentage of intermediate blood cells among white blood cells) increased (p < 0.005, +12.98%) with exercise during Ramadan fasting. No significant haematological variations were observed under normal conditions outside the Ramadan fast.

Intermittent anaerobic exercise during Ramadan fasting significantly alters haematological parameters, suggesting that fasting should be considered in athletes training regimens. These findings are limited b the small sample size (n = 10).

This study provides a detailed description of the haematological changes induced by intermittent anaerobic lactic exercise during Ramadan fasting in young male athletes. The findings highlight significant alterations in erythrocyte and leukocyte indices compared with the non-fasting state and underscore the need to consider fasting status when planning training loads, recovery and nutrition strategies for athletes.