Fasting and Performing during Ramadan: Faith and Autonomous Spirituality as Psychological Resources for Adaptation in Muslim Athletes – A Theoretical Reflection within a Western Context

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Published Jul 1, 2025
https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v103i7.6043
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Vol. 103 No. 7 (2025): Tunis Med Jul 2025

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Walid Briki
Independent researcher, Grasse, France
Karim Chamari
Naufar, Wellness and Recovery Center, Doha, Qatar Naufar

Abstract

Introduction: This article offers a reflection on spirituality and its role in the psychological adaptation in  Muslim athletes. It focuses on the experience of athletes fasting during Ramadan, confronted with the demands of athletic performance, particularly within a western context where social support may be limited and societal resistance may emerge.


Methods: We adopted a theoretical and reflective approach, based on a conceptual analysis combining insights from religious psychology, motivational psychology, and psychodynamic approach. Testimonies from existing literature were used illustratively to support the reflection. Our positioning is also situated within the current dynamics of elite sports and contemporary debates on spiritual experience within competitive sports.


Results: We suggested that: (a) Strengthening faith could be mobilized as a psychological strategy to support perseverance and adaptation; (b) An autonomous spirituality, based on personal interest, self-congruence, or personal importance, could foster more flexible adaptation to the demands of fasting and competitive sports; and (c) A controlled spirituality, driven by external or internal pressures, could generate psychological rigidity, compromising resources management.


Conclusion: These elements call for the development of contextualized support strategies aimed at fostering autonomous forms of regulation and promoting an inclusive and respectful approach to spiritual diversity in sports.

Keywords:

Coping Skills, Culture, Health, Power, Psychological, Religious Beliefs

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Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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