4. Discussion
PD, morning impairment, TD
HEAT, JET LAG
The current study aimed to explore the effects of pre-exercise Caff intake on high-intensity short-term physical performance (SJ, AG, and 5 m-SRT) in adolescent female handball players immediately following Ramadan. The study’s main findings were that (i) Ramadan fasting had a negative effect on short-term high-intensity physical performances (only in the evening) and sleep quality, during and immediately after Ramadan month, but not on daily energy intake or body mass; similarly, (ii) pre-exercise Caff intake reduced the negative effects of Ramadan fasting on high-intensity short-term physical performances recorded immediately after Ramadan month. Our outcomes revealed higher short-term high-intensity physical performance in the SJ test, agility, and 5m-SRT (i.e., PD and TD) performance in the evening session than the morning session before Ramadan. Several studies have shown that the best anaerobic performances were recorded in the afternoon, which is consistent with the current findings [Regarding Ramadan effects, our data indicated that Ramadan fasting (i) had a negative influence on short-term high-intensity physical performances (i.e., (SJ, AG, and 5 mRST) only in the evening, both during and immediately Post-Ramadan month; accordingly, (ii) had a negative effect on sleep quality and duration but not on athletes’ daily energy consumption and body mass. In agreement with our results, several studies reported that the various changes that occur throughout Ramadan may have an impact on athletes’ physical performance [Our findings regarding the effects of Caff indicate that various aspects of short-term high-intensity performance were improved following Caff consumption compared with a placebo. The present results are in contrast to previous studies on female athletes that reported no effect of Caff on jump performance [On the other hand, the time of day (morning vs. evening) and Ramadan fasting appear to have an important impact on the response to Caff intake. The highest values for these variables were observed before Ramadan in the evening following Caff consumption. Caff’s effectiveness in the evening was limited before Ramadan, as a small or no significant ergogenic effect was detected in the SJ, AT, and 5 m repeated sprint tests. The results also reveal that the values of these variables following Caff administration in the morning are almost equivalent to those reported in afternoon trials without Caff supplementation. Previous studies revealed that acute consumption reversed the morning impairment in short-term high-intensity performance, allowing similar performance to that noticed in the afternoon [Interestingly, we also find that, immediately after Ramadan, Caff improved performance during both the morning and evening to comparable levels to those recorded before Ramadan. However, this difference in effectiveness between before and after Ramadan is attributed to the fact that Caff productivity occurs when performance is at its lowest values, as is the case throughout this period. Moreover, it is believed that one night of partial sleep deprivation affects short-term maximal performance in the afternoon of the following day, as was the case in the study by [The current investigation provides a unique addition to the literature, as Caff intake immediately following Ramadan fasting would be an effective strategy for increasing morning and evening performance when players are required to compete or exercise during the week following Ramadan. To our knowledge, no study has investigated the effects of Caff consumption at different times of day immediately following Ramadan on young female players, who, like males, have lower levels of performance during this period compared with the afternoon and who frequently participate in morning training and competitions that can coincide with Ramadan.The strengths of the current investigation include a rigorous study design with young female athletes while examining several factors such as time of day, sleep parameters, daily caloric intake, Ramadan fasting, and several aspects of short-term high intensity performances. Aside from its strengths, some of our study’s limitations should be recognized in order to improve its application to real-life sports situations. First, the female athletes in this study were all under the age of 18, which limits the ability to apply the results to female handball players over the age of 18 and male handball players or other disciplines. Second, no blood variable data were collected during the experimental trials, ruling out any possibility that metabolic and hormonal variables play a role in Caff efficiency. Furthermore, we did not use objective methods to control the individuals’ sleep quality and amount (i.e., actimetry or polysomnography). Finally, the sample size was restricted. A large cohort study exploring the effect of Caff intake at different times of the day, in different periods (after Ramadan, during Ramadan after breaking fast, different seasons), in different conditions (after jet lag, at altitude, and in heat), in both genders, and at varying ages (e.g., adolescents and adults), should be carried out to increase the available evidence.