EFFECT OF RAMADAN INTERMITTENT FASTING ON DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF BODY COMPOSITION IN YOUNG MUSLIM MALES OF KOLKATA, INDIA

Abstract

Forty young Muslim untrained male subjects (mean age: 22.67±1.75 years, mean height: 165.72 ±7.72 cm) participating in Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) and forty non-fasting counterparts (mean age: 23.05±1.43 years, mean height: 165.22±4.29 cm) from different parts of Kolkata, India were recruited in the study to evaluate the effects of RIF on different components of body composition. One-way repeated measure ANOVA depicted significant difference in the studied parameters in the experimental group (EG) whereas the control group (CG) showed insignificant difference in the studied parameters. Significant difference was also noted when the change of body composition in terms of skinfolds, body density, percentage of body fat (%Fat), total fat, lean body mass (LBM) and %LBM was compared between CG and EG. It can be concluded from the present investigation that RIF adversely affected the body composition in fasting individuals although body mass was not influenced by RIF in the studied population.