title: Effects of Ramadan on physical capacities of North African boys fasting for the first time.
abstract: Most of the literature related to the effects of Ramadan fasting on physical performance has focused on adults, and only three studies have examined its impact on children's physical performance.
  
  
  
  To examine the effects of Ramadan fasting on first-time fasting boys' performance in short-term explosive exercises [vertical and horizontal jump tests (VJT and HJT), 20-m and 30-m sprints and medicine-ball throw (MBT)], as well as in sub-maximal endurance [6-min walking distance (6MWD) measured during the 6-min walk test (6MWT)].
  
  
  
  Eighteen Tunisian boys [mean±standard deviation (SD) of age and body mass (BM): 11.9±0.8 y and 55.4±18.2 kg, respectively] were included. The experimental design comprised four testing phases: 2-weeks before Ramadan (BR), the end of the second week (R2) and the fourth week (R4) of Ramadan, and 10-12 days after the end of Ramadan (AR). At each phase, boys performed two test sessions in the afternoon (15:00-17:00 h) interrupted by 48 h of recovery (first test session: BM, VJT, HJT, and 20-m and 30-m sprint tests; second session: MBT and 6MWT). The study was conducted during the summer of 2012 from July 5 to August 29.
  
  
  
  6MWDs (m) were significantly shorter during R2 (652±101) and R4 (595±123) compared to BR (697±86) and came back to baseline values AR. BM (kg) mean±SD did not significantly change during R2 (52±15) and during R4 (53±15) compared to BR (55±17), and short-term explosive performances were unchanged throughout the study.
  
  
  
  In non-athletic children, first-ever Ramadan fasting impairs sub-maximal aerobic capacity but has no effect on BM or short-term explosive performance.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit 'Exercise Physiology and Pathophysiology - from the Integrated to the Molecular Biology, Medicine and Health', UR12ES06, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia; Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fenneni
authors.affiliation: Research Unit 'Exercise Physiology and Pathophysiology - from the Integrated to the Molecular Biology, Medicine and Health', UR12ES06, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia; Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Imed
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Latiri
authors.affiliation: Research Laboratory 'Sport Performance Optimization', National Center of Medicine and Sciences in Sport, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Asma
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aloui
authors.affiliation: Research Unit 'Exercise Physiology and Pathophysiology - from the Integrated to the Molecular Biology, Medicine and Health', UR12ES06, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia; Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Tunisia; Department of Physiology and Functional Exploration, Farhat HACHED University Hospital of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rouatbi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurophysiology, Sahloul University Hospital of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Saafi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Iheb
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bougmiza
authors.affiliation: Athlete Health and Performance Research Center, ASPETAR, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chamari
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Tunisia; Department of Physiology and Functional Exploration, Farhat HACHED University Hospital of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia; Research Unit 'Secondary Prevention after Myocardial Infarction' N°: 04/UR/08-18, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia; helmi.bensaad@rns.tn.
authors.forename: Helmi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ben Saad
mesh_terms: D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D005215:Fasting / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006693:Holidays; D006801:Humans; D007514:Islam; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Ramadan fasting; Tunisia; anaerobic exercise; child; walking distance