The schedules are punishing Lamine Yamal

Barcelona"Ramada Mubarak!": This is how Muslims greet each other at the start of Ramadan. During this month, eating and drinking are prohibited during daylight hours. That is, food can only be consumed in the early morning and after sunset. This year it runs from February 17th to March 19th. Lamine Yamal is among a large group of athletes who combine elite sports with fasting. This leaves their bodies much more worn out after a match than usual, increasing the risk of injury and directly impacting performance. The Rocafonda winger celebrates its second Ramadan And Barça's medical staff are working meticulously to take care of him. "We follow a clear plan: we monitor him, we see how we can help him, when he should eat, when he should train..." said Hansi Flick in the lead-up to last Sunday's Barça-Levante match, the first of four La Liga games that Lamine, at 4:15 p.m., must play while observing Ramadan. This Saturday, against Villarreal, Barça will play again at the same time. Afterwards, they will host Atlético de Madrid on Tuesday (9 p.m.) in a Copa del Rey match, but the next two league games are again at the worst possible time for footballers observing Ramadan: a visit to San Mamés on March 8 and a match against Sevilla on March 15, both scheduled – at this point – for the 5th.

"During Ramadan, it's common to eat only one meal a day. It's very important that, when you break your fast, this meal consists of energy-rich and high-calorie foods," explains Àlex Contijoch, an osteopath and nutritionist specializing in high-performance sports. "During this period, it's necessary to reduce the training load. It should be based on maintenance sessions and avoid high-impact activities, because recovery is more difficult. An athlete usually loses some weight during Ramadan," he continues. "As for energy, if your intake includes frugal foods—small but very energy-dense portions, like nuts—you can maintain a good level." Lamine Yamal mentioned a few days before the start of Ramadan that he was adapting his diet to be able to perform during this time. "You have to work on supercompensation. The athlete must train and compete in optimal condition. This means reducing the load one or two days before and applying the..." tapering [Tune-up]: Focus on short, intense exercises in a single session that don't cause fatigue but do activate the body," explains the specialist.

Hydration is key

Hydration is another key aspect, and elite athletes are allowed some exceptions to drinking during certain times. However, proper hydration at night is crucial. "You can drink beverages with isotonic electrolyte components, meaning with a concentration similar to that of blood, to facilitate absorption. You can also drink amino acid shakes; it's not a solid food, but it provides essential and non-essential amino acids necessary to maintain good performance," explains Contijo. "Nutrition, hydration, and fluid intake are key, especially when competing in temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius, during periods of variable weather like now. It's a transitional period: it's not the intense cold of winter, but it can be deceiving," warns the specialist.