Pro cycling during Ramadan: UAE's Yousif Mirza details how the two combine

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, in which between some other habits, the Muslim population has the habit of fasting from sunrise to sunset. This year, that period has matched between the 1st of April and the 1st of March. One of the few Muslim professional cyclists, UAE Team Emirate's Yousif Mirza, has shared his experience.

In a column, written with N Sport, the UAE Team Emirates rider has talked about the balance between personal and professional life during the Holy month: "Ramadan is one of the most important periods of each year for me, from both a personal and professional perspective. It allows me to reset and recharge my batteries after a fast start to the season. But more importantly, Ramadan is a time for family. I love nothing more than coming together with my family, and spending time with my children to teach them the reasons why we fast and why it is so important."

That reason being that it is used to remember the less fortunate and to reinforce the need to be thankful. During this period, Mirza details that the training habits are different: "Exercising through Ramadan is something that keeps me engaged and on-track. While it is obviously more taxing to work out alongside the fasting period, it is crucial that I try to maintain a base fitness level to ensure I am able to compete once Ramadan is over."

I train for around 3-4 hours per day during Ramadan, cycling approximately 100km per ride and 600km per week," he adds. "...nutrition and hydration are components that I pay close attention to. Whether it’s the number of meals I’m consuming during the day, the types of food I’m consuming, or the foods I am avoiding, these are all variables that I can control."

I strive to still eat three meals per day and focus on carbohydrates as my fuel for training. I ensure that I avoid eating large amounts of food before bed, as I don’t want to feel heavy the next day when it comes to training." And as for water consumption, he makes sure that consumption remains the same despite the limitations imposed: "I make sure I still consume the recommended 3-4 litres of water each day to ensure I can function to my optimum," he pointed out.