The Effects of Ramadan Fasting on Metabolic Syndrome and Body Composition in Male Students

Background: Diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as the two major consequences of metabolic syndrome, can lead to some complications, like fatty liver disease. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of Ramadan fasting on metabolic syndrome and body composition in fasting and non-fasting male students. Methods: This was an outcome research with a quasi-experimental design. A total of 29 male students were selected by convenience sampling method. Those who intended to fast were placed in one group (n=15) and other students in the non-fasting group (n=14). The serum levels of biochemical and hematological factors and atherogenic indexes were measured three days before the fasting month and after Ramadan. The obtained data were analyzed by repeated-measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using SPSS. The significance level was set at P≤0.05. Results: The present study results suggested that weight (79.96±5.32 vs. 79.16±5.43 kg; P=0.001), body mass index (25.03±2.33 vs. 24.78±2.36 kg/m2; P=0.001), waist circumference (104.86±4.18 vs. 101.86±5.28 cm; P=0.001), hip circumference (96.33±6.58 vs. 95.42±6.14 cm; P=0.002), waist to hip ratio (1.09±0.06 vs. 1.07±0.07 cm; P=0.008), fasting blood glucose (86.46±4.74 vs. 79.93±7.54 mg/dL; P= 0.002), insulin (12.95±6.96 vs. 9.65±4.57 mg/dL; P=0.03), insulin resistance (49.74±2.70 vs. 33.89±1.49; P=0.001), and Triglyceride (TG) levels (75.00±15.15 vs. 67.93±16.26 mg/dL; P=0.03 ) have decreased significantly at the end of fasting period. The HDL-C levels (38.66±4.09 vs. 42.46±5.19 mg/dL; P= 0.004) significantly increased in the fasting group. Conclusion: According to the obtained data, fasting led to some alternations in body composition and serum insulin, fasting blood glucose, and lipid profile. Therefore, to benefit from this holy month, it is crucial for male nursing students to include nutrients in their diet during Ramadan.