(NewsNation) — Kyrie Irving is in his 14th NBA season and like always, will observe Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of self-reflection and sacrifice.

During the annual religious observance, running this year from March 11 to April 12, Irving will fast during daytime hours as a sign of self-restraint, one of Islam’s five basic tenets. But for high-level athletes who are dedicated as much to their faith as they are to their athletic pursuits, the idea of going long periods without food seems counterproductive to maintaining performance.

Athletes are not exempt from breaking their fast, which is limited to a select few under Islamic guidelines. Fasting includes abstinence from all food and liquids (including water) from dawn until sunset and reminds Muslims of those who are less fortunate while reinforcing the practice of thankfulness.

“It’s a journey with God,” Irving, now in his second season with the Dallas Mavericks, said in a 2022 postgame interview. “I’m not alone in this. I have brothers and sisters all around the world who are fasting with me. We hold our prayers and our meditations very sacred and when you come out (to play), God’s inside me.

“I’m walking with faith and that’s all that matters.”

Even for athletes playing at their sport’s highest level, however, remaining at the top of their game during Ramadan requires sacrifice, which is simply part of practicing Islam.

“The ‘why’ is because this is my chosen faith and route,” Mohammad Nourani, an assistant track coach at California Polytechnic State University, told NewsNation. “There are plenty of (disadvantaged) people in the world (where) this is their every day. Who don’t have adequate food or water … and this is their life every single day.

“If this is all they know, I can put up with it for a month.”

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar, which is based on the lunar calendar. Islamic tradition states that it was during Ramadan when God revealed Islam’s Holy Book, The Quran, to the prophet Mohammad.

The month is one of introspection, prayer, and dedicated reading of the Quran. According to Muslim beliefs, God forgives the past sins of those who observe the holy month through fasting, prayer, and abstention.

The timing of Ramadan changes every year and, in the past, has affected athletes participating in various sporting events like the NBA Playoffs and World Cup.

Balancing faith and performance

Ramadan focuses more on the practice of self-restraint than atonement. Yet, for athletes who depend on maintaining a strict diet and hydration to remain properly fueled, balancing performance with their faith requires a change in routine. But practicing athletes insist they are not alone.

“Millions of Muslims around the world can relate to the struggle to make it through each day without food and water,” former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom wrote in a 2019 Washington Post Op-Ed. “The only reason people talk about my experience during Ramadan is because I am a professional basketball player with a prominent platform.”

Kanter Freedom said that he sees his basketball career not as a means to a paycheck, but as the tool that allows him to impact the world.

He wrote that his NBA career and faith both require immense determination, focus, passion, and discipline. But Kanter wrote, “Not all challenges can be overcome with a willingness and determination, for there are still things that remain out of our control.”

Ramadan peak performance possible

The National Center for Biotechnology Information reports high-level athletes can maintain peak performance if sleep, food, fluid intake and physical training are well-controlled. Doctors wrote that the timing and intensity of training may, however, need to be adjusted during Ramadan. But shifting routines isn’t always possible.

Retired U.S. Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Mohammad, who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Games while competing wearing a hijab, has always trained during Ramadan. In doing so, the New Jersey native has always found a way to balance her faith and athletic endeavors – even to the highest stage in international competition.

“In doing those two things simultaneously — observing the fast and training, sometimes for really really important competitions for me — there has never been a moment of doubt of like, ‘Oh, I don’t think I’m going to fast for this Ramadan,” Mohammad said in an interview with Buzzfeed.

Physicians said that training late in the day allows for nutrition interventions while promoting recovery and could help athletes avoid muscle damage, the agency said. But even for those who observe the Holy Month each year, fasting while training at high levels is sometimes a struggle.

Nourani said the first few days of the fast are the most difficult. Because Muslims cannot eat or drink for long periods, they experience sleep deprivation and often, a drop in peak performance because of dehydration and the drastic change in caloric intake.

That takes a physical toll, Nourani said, giving high-level athletes a feeling that they “don’t have it.” That often requires understanding and empathy from coaches and teammates, the college coach says.

But because of what the month means to Muslims, Nourani says they find a way.

“They just look at it like another challenge that they’re willing to push through,” he said. “In a way, being a higher-level athlete where they have discipline in their everyday lives outside of Ramadan is already a factor, this just adds something else.”