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Ramadan is a time for reflection, discipline, and spiritual growth, but it also brings unique challenges for runners. Fasting for long hours means adjusting your training to support your energy levels, maintain adequate hydration and protect against excessive fatigue.
With a few smart tweaks, this guide will help you to understand your body's limits in order to train safely and feel strong throughout Ramadan.
Ramadan 2025 begins on the evening of Friday, 28 February, and lasts until Sunday, 30 March.
Adjusting Your Training Plan
There are no two ways about it: fasting will affect your energy levels. With limited fueling opportunities, recovery will take longer and your body may not have the same capacity to cope with high-intensity training.
Rather than pushing through and risking exhaustion or injury, it’s best to adjust your training to reflect your current energy stores. You can check out our complete guide on managing your training calendar here.
To support your training alongside fasting, we suggest:
Reducing the number of weekly training days to allow more recovery time between sessions. Within your Runna app: Plan → Manage Plan → Runs per week
Lowering total mileage to maintain the effective balance of training and recovery. Within your Runna app: Plan → Manage Plan → Running ability (adjusting this will affect your weekly mileage)
Slowing down target paces by 30 seconds or to a conversational pace to accommodate for the reduction in energy stores. Within your Runna app: Plan → Manage Plan → Estimated current race time → add around 30 seconds. Consider changing your unit of measure to RPE.
Every runner’s experience will be different, so it’s really important to listen to your body. Some people may find that they only need to make minimal adjustments to their typical training schedule, whereas others may need to scale back more significantly. The key is to be flexible and prioritize sustainability over intensity.
Staying Hydrated During Ramadan
Hydration is critical for training and recovery, but fasting presents a unique challenge for maintaining your hydration status. This makes it all the more important to focus on your hydration when you can.
How to Stay Hydrated While Fasting
Front-load hydration at Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and Iftar (evening meal). Aim to drink at least 2 - 3 liters of water over the non-fasting period. Don’t worry about getting this down all in one sitting. Instead, sip water consistently alongside your food intake between Iftar and Suhoor.
Prioritize electrolyte balance. With a reduced food intake during the day, water alone may not always be enough to maintain hydration during the warmer months. Adding electrolyte tablets to your hydration routine can help replace essential minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium overnight, preventing dehydration and muscle cramps. Avoid high sodium drinks in the morning however, as this may leave you feeling thirstier throughout the day.
Avoid dehydrating beverages. Drinks like coffee, tea, and soda act as diuretics, meaning they actually encourage fluid loss. If you enjoy caffeine, try limiting your intake and balance it with plenty of food and water.
Plan your training times wisely. Try to schedule your runs for early in the morning before Suhoor or after just before/after Iftar. These times of the day tend to be cooler and will help to preserve hydration by offsetting sweat losses. Feel free to take water with you when running outside the fasting period too!
If you experience dizziness, insatiable thirst, or signs of dehydration like dark urine or headaches, consider adjusting your training intensity or scheduling an additional rest day. If symptoms persist, please give your training a backseat and speak to your doctor.
Nutrition Strategies for Running While Fasting
Fueling is just as important as hydration, as your body has fewer opportunities to replenish its energy stores. The best approach (which is good all the time, but particularly during periods of fasting) is to focus on nutrient-dense meals that provide sustained energy and support recovery.
Building a Balanced Ramadan Training Diet
Prioritize protein. Protein helps to repair and rebuild muscles after training. Include lean meats, eggs, fish, or plant-based sources like lentils and tofu.
Include complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs provide slow-release energy that will sustain you throughout the day. Oats, whole grains, and sweet potatoes are good options.
Choose hydrating foods. Fruits and vegetables contain high water content, making them a great addition to your meals. Options like cucumber, watermelon, oranges, and spinach can contribute to your hydration and help you feel replenished.
Incorporate healthy fats. Healthy fat is really important for your metabolism and energy availability. Nuts, seeds, avocado, and olive oil help provide lasting energy and support joint health.
Avoid heavy, processed foods that may lead to bloating and sluggishness. A balanced diet with natural ingredients can help you feel stronger throughout your fasting and training.
If possible, try to schedule your harder workouts for early in the morning so that you can have a quick snack beforehand and recover with Suhoor. Alternatively, make sure to break your fast with dates, water and milk before attempting a harder session in the evening. This will help to regulate your body's hormones to support your health and maximise training adaptations!
Managing Sleep and Recovery During Ramadan
Fasting naturally alters sleep patterns, as Suhoor requires waking up early and Iftar may lead to later bedtimes. Since rest is essential in recovery for your muscle repair and overall performance, it’s important to find ways to optimize your recovery:
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule to the best of your ability.
Take naps during the day if you’re unable to get a full 7–9 hours of sleep at night. Why not swap your midday run for a midday nap!
Avoid sugar-heavy foods before bed, as they can disrupt sleep quality.
If you’re feeling extra fatigued or sluggish, it’s okay to reduce training intensity or take an additional rest day.
Listening to Your Body and Training Responsibly
Your body will experience natural fluctuations in energy throughout Ramadan, making it more important than ever to train intuitively. You may even want to consider training according to RPE (relative perceived effort) to better manage your intensity. Some days, you might feel strong and ready to run as usual, while on others fatigue may set in more quickly.
Signs you may be overdoing it:
Dizziness, lightheadedness, or extreme fatigue.
Persistent muscle soreness or difficulty recovering.
Feeling overly thirsty or signs of dehydration.
If you experience any of these symptoms, please prioritize your recovery over training and consider adjusting your plan. Remember, your relative effort is far more important for effective training than any pace target during Ramadan.
After Ramadan, ease back into regular training gradually. Your body may need time to adjust to full fueling again, so resist the urge to return to peak mileage immediately.
Looking for more guidance? Drop us a line at Runna Support via the app and our team can offer advice on modifying your training plan.