Olympian Sam Watson recently took on a unique challengeโfasting for Ramadan.
Though not Muslim, the Utah-based athlete wanted to better understand the experience of millions worldwide who abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset during the holy month.
โI wanted to do it just to sort of understand the perspective of the 20% of the world that is currently doing this for the entire month,โhe told the Deseret News on Tuesday.
๐ Read Also: Why You Need to Break Your Fast with Dates
To prepare, Watson researched the best ways to train while fasting and consulted friends who observe Ramadan. He also studied how Muslim athletes balance their performance with fasting.
Watson, who grew up in Texas but now trains in Utah, used his nutrition knowledge to stay fueled. He added casein, a slow-digesting protein, to his overnight oats for sustained energy. Like many Muslims, he broke his fast at sunset with dates.
โA date is usually traditional because it can get your blood sugar up pretty fast, but it wonโt necessarily overwhelm you or make you feel sick (compared to) if you were to โฆ eat an entire meal right after you break your fast,โ he explained.
Fasting & More
Beyond fasting, Watson incorporated five moments of reflection into his day, inspired by the Islamic practice of Salah (prayer). He admired how various religious traditionsโChristianity, Judaism, and Islamโdedicate time for prayer and rest.
Although he wasnโt always praying, he used these breaks to reflect, journal, and read, including an English translation of the Quran.
Muslim athletes often adjust their schedules, working with coaches to optimise energy levels while fasting.
For Watson, the biggest challenge was sleep. To eat before sunrise, he woke at 5 a.m., then tried to get a few more hours of rest.
โI have always had quite a fragile sleep schedule traveling so much. I do notice a physical difference when I donโt get my full sleep routine in,โ he said.
Sleeping while digesting food increased his resting heart rate, slightly affecting his recovery. However, he found the experience worthwhile.
Unexpected Benefits
Although fasting impacted his energy levels, Watson discovered unexpected benefits. The break from training made him appreciate climbing even more.
โWhen I got to the gym, I really enjoyed myself a lot more to a level. It really made me sort of reflect and realize I love the sport that I do in climbing, and I was really grateful to be in the gym,โ he said.
He also noticed he could enter a flow state faster after breaking his fast.
โI found after I broke a fast that it was substantially easier to do that, and I donโt exactly know why. It could be the amount of reflection, or it could be some sort of physiological phenomenon. But it definitely worked in that way, and that was very exciting for me,โ he said.
Encouraging others to explore different cultures, Watson described fasting as an โenriching experience.โ
โI also think you really do become a more holistic person when you learn from a lot of different sources from around the world, and itโs never been easier to do in the age of the internet,โ he said.
This wonโt be his last time fasting for Ramadan. Next year, Watson hopes to observe the full month in a Muslim country.
โBecause the community aspect of (Ramadan) is so strong,โ he said.
For now, heโs focused on this yearโs IFSC World Cup competitions as he works toward qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
