The COVID-19 pandemic and physical activity during intermittent 
fasting, is it safe? A call for action

Hesam Addin Akbari; Amine Ghram; Mohammad Yoosef; Ross Arena; Carl J Lavie; Hamdi Chtourou; Helmi Ben Saad; Karim Chamari

doi:10.5114/biolsport.2021.108300

eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X

Biology of Sport

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4/2021
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abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic and physical activity during intermittent fasting, is it safe? A call for action

Hesam Addin Akbari

¹

,

Amine Ghram

^{1, 2, 3}

,

Mohammad Yoosef

¹

,

Ross Arena

^{2, 4}

,

Carl J Lavie

^{2, 5}

,

Hamdi Chtourou

^{6, 7}

,

Helmi Ben Saad

⁸

,

Karim Chamari

⁹

Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Healthy Living for Pandemic Event Protection (HL – PIVOT) Network, Chicago, IL, USA
Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation, Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, Ochsner Clinical School the University of Queensland School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Institut Supérieur du Sport et de l’éducation physique de Sfax, Université de Sfax, Sfax, Tunisia
Activité Physique, Sport et Santé, UR18JS01, Observatoire National du Sport, Tunis, Tunisia
Université de Sousse, Faculté de Médecine de Sousse, Hôpital Farhat HACHED de Sousse, Laboratoire de Recherche «Insuffisance Cardiaque» (LR12SP09), Sousse, Tunisie
Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar

Biol Sport. 2021:38(4):729-732.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2021.108300

Online publish date: 2021/08/16

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Intermittent fasting (IF) has recently gained popularity, and has been used for centuries in many religious practices. The Ramadan fasting is a mandatory form of IF practiced by millions of healthy adult Muslims globally for a whole lunar month every year. In Islam, the “Sunna” also encourages Muslims to practice IF all along the year (e.g.; two days a week). The 2019-Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the context of Ramadan has raised the question whether fasting is safe practice during the COVID-19 pandemic health crisis, and what would be the healthy lifestyle behaviors while fasting that would minimize the risk of infection. As COVID-19 lacks a specific therapy, IF and physical activity could help promote human immunity and be part of holistic preventive strategy against COVID-19. In this commentary, the authors focus on this dilemma and provide recommendations to the fasting communities for safely practicing physical activity in time of COVID-19 pandemic.

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The COVID-19 pandemic and physical activity during intermittent fasting, is it safe? A call for action

Hesam Addin Akbari 1 , Amine Ghram 1, 2, 3 , Mohammad Yoosef 1 , Ross Arena 2, 4 , Carl J Lavie 2, 5 , Hamdi Chtourou 6, 7 , Helmi Ben Saad 8 , Karim Chamari 9

Exercise Training, Fasting, Physical Inactivity, Ramadan, SARS-CoV-2, Sedentary Behavior

Hesam Addin Akbari

¹

,

Amine Ghram

^{1, 2, 3}

,

Mohammad Yoosef

¹

,

Ross Arena

^{2, 4}

,

Carl J Lavie

^{2, 5}

,

Hamdi Chtourou

^{6, 7}

,

Helmi Ben Saad

⁸

,

Karim Chamari

⁹