Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny says fasting during Ramadan can help Muslim players produce top performances on the pitch.
As we all know Ramadan -which is coming to an end this week - is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar, and it is celebrated by Muslims across the world.
During this period Muslims stay away from eating and drinking between sunrise to sunset to help them understand the sufferings of others and get closer to God.
It could affect some footballers' way of life, especially with the demands of the game which calls for them to be in top condition before playing, however, Elneny insists that there are positives that can be taken when fasting during Ramadan.
“For us, it's not a big difference,” he said as Arsenal.com reported. “We're happy because Ramadan comes for just 30 days every year and we don't really think too much about how much we will be fasting.
“Every footballer when he trains needs to drink for your body. When you’ve finished training we need food. Ramadan doesn't give you this but it gives you peace that God will be happy with you and the respect you're going to get from people because you have not made an exception.
“When some players are fasting, you can see them scoring goals and they're doing great. This tells us fasting is not bad, it’s actually something really good because God is happy with you and you will do well because God will help you.”
The Egyptian added: “You’ve got to be strong in your head, in your mind. It is really good for your body because you give everything, and if you have fat or anything else bad inside your body, it will be gone.
![Arsenal star Elneny has been out of action for the Gunners since January [GETTY]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/70fb8e_ceb55147f99e49469a5b04f797270434~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_454,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/70fb8e_ceb55147f99e49469a5b04f797270434~mv2.jpg)
“My first Premier League goal came when I was fasting when we played Newcastle away. My body looked different, and the strength and power I had was small. This means I wasn’t as strong, but God helped me.
“God knows how hard it is but you’re still doing it, and they help you. Some people might think that because I don’t eat or drink I might get thin, but it’s not like that.”
Elneny suffered a knee injury in January and is working towards full fitness, however, he explained what steps he has been taking to return to recovery and also thanks the Arsenal medical team for their effort during convalescence.
When asked about the differences between this and previous seasons, he said: “In training, you train for an hour and a half, or two hours maximum and you are around your teammates and the coaches. In the gym, you are on your own with the physio, everything is focused on your injury and you put a lot of energy into it. Maybe you have three hours in the gym, so it is a lot of work.
“I have to thank the Arsenal medical team because they have been exceptional with me. The doctor, the physio, and the nutritionist send me a plan so that every day I know what to eat, what to drink, and what tablets to take. They go through all the details with me.
“After the sun goes down I have to eat a lot of protein because I am doing gym work, and when I am doing a heavy gym session with weights I have to drink protein shakes to also hydrate. Before I sleep I have some fruits and yoghurts. There are a lot of things to consider, and without [the medical team] it would be more difficult.”
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