Effects of Ramadan on cognitive functions in young boys.

Fasting during Ramadan involves abstaining from food and drink from dawn to sunset, potentially influencing cognitive functions essential for the intellectual development of the youth. Therefore, understanding the effects of fasting on these functions in children/adolescents provides valuable perspectives to enhance education and promote mental well-being. However, studies on children/adolescents in this context are still limited. To evaluate the impact of Ramadan fasting on cognitive functions, including information processing speed, inhibition, decision-making, and auditory attention processes among children and adolescents aged 11 to 15 years. This study was conducted with 24 healthy children/adolescents (aged 12.84 ± 0.69 years). The experimental protocol consisted of two sessions: Before-Ramadan (BR) and at the beginning of the second week of Ramadan (R2). At each session, the boys were randomly tested on simple reaction time (SRT), choice reaction time (CRT), negative priming reaction time (NPRT), and auditory discrimination (P300). The tests were administered and scored by the same person in the different sessions. The study found that Ramadan fasting did not have an effect on various reaction times or on electro-physiological data, including P300 amplitude and latency. The current study, conducted with healthy children/adolescents, indicates that Ramadan fasting had no impact on various reaction times (SRT, CRT, NPRT), suggesting the preservation of information processing speed and decision-making, even in the face of increased task complexity. This is evident, on the one hand, through the maintenance of the ability to react to unexpected events, and, on the other hand, through the mastery of resistance to automatism, thus reflecting the preservation of inhibitory function (NPRT). Regarding P300 data, the absence of changes in latencies and amplitudes suggests that Ramadan fasting did not alter either the evaluation time of auditory stimuli or auditory attention processes.

Does Ramadan Observance Affect Cardiorespiratory Capacity of Healthy Boys?

Studies raising the issue of the effects of Ramadan observance (RO) on boys' 6-min walk test (6MWT) data are rare. The studies, which did not include control groups of non-fasters, presented contradictory results. This study aimed to compare the 6MWT data (6-min walk distance [6MWD; m, %predicted], heart rate [HR; bpm, % of maximal predicted HR]), oxy-hemoglobin saturation (Oxy-sat; %), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP, respectively; mmHg) determined at rest (Rest and at the end End of the test) of a group of 22 healthy fasting boys (age: 12 to 15 years) with an age-matched non-fasting group (n = 10). The 6MWTs were performed during three experimental conditions (ECs): Pre-Ramadan, Mid-Ramadan, and Post-Ramadan. The two groups' 6MWT data for each EC were compared, and repeated factorial analysis of variance (2 groups vs. 3 ECs) was performed. Both groups had similar values of 6MWD (m, %predicted), HRRest or HREnd (bpm, % of maximal predicted HR), Oxy-satRest, Oxy-satEnd, SBPRest, and DBPRest during the three ECs. Compared to the non-fasting group, the fasting group had significantly higher SBPEnd (121 ± 10 vs. 130 ± 11) and DBPEnd (72 ± 6 vs. 78 ± 7) determined during the Mid-Ramadan EC. No significant interactive effects of the groups (2) vs. ECs (3) was found for the 6MWD (%predicted; p = .809), HRRest (%, p = .555), HREnd (%, p = .964), Oxy-satRest (p = .336), Oxy-satEnd (p = .389), SBPRest (p = .708), SBPEnd (p = .548), DBPRest (p = .277), and DBPEnd (p = .096). To conclude, in boys, RO does not impact the 6MWD, HR, or Oxy-sat, but it has minimal impact on the SBPEnd and DBPEnd.

Does Ramadan Fasting Affect Spirometric Data of Healthy Adolescents?

PURPOSE: Several studies raised the effects of Ramadan fasting on healthy adults spirometric data, but none was performed in children. The aim of this study was to compare the spirometric data of a group of faster adolescents (n = 26) with an age-matched non-faster one (n = 10). METHODS: This comparative quasi-experimental study, including 36 healthy males aged 12 to 15 years, was conducted during the summer 2015 (Ramadan: June 18 to July 16). Three sessions (Before-Ramadan [Before-R], Mid-Ramadan [Mid-R], After-Ramadan [After-R]) were selected for spirometry measurements. Spirometry was performed around 5.5 to 3.5 h before sunset and the spirometric data were expressed as percentages of local spirometric norms. RESULTS: The two groups of fasters and non-fasters had similar ages and weights (13.35 ± 0.79 vs 12.96 ± 0.45 years, 46.8 ± 9.2 vs 41.7 ± 12.6 kg, respectively). There was no effect of Ramadan fasting on forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow, and maximal mid-expiratory flow. For example, during the Before-R, Mid-R, and After-R sessions, there was no significant difference between the fasters and non-fasters mean FVC (101 ± 11 vs 99 ± 14, 101 ± 12 vs 102 ± 14, 103 ± 11 vs 104 ± 13, respectively) or FEV1 (101 ± 13 vs 96 ± 16, 98 ± 11 vs 97 ± 16, 101 ± 10 vs 98 ± 16, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Ramadan fasting had no interaction effect with the spirometric data of Tunisian healthy male adolescents.