# Training for a Sportive During Ramadan — Stick to Low Volume or Go Shorter but More Often? **URL:** \ **Category:** Training\ **Tags:** choosing-a-plan, plan-modification\ **Created:** [February 26, 2025, 9:09pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/training-for-a-sportive-during-ramadan-stick-to-low-volume-or-go-shorter-but-more-often/101195 "2025-02-26T21:09:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ibrahim\_F](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/ibrahim_f/32/158801_2.png) [@Ibrahim\_F](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Ibrahim_F)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 9:09pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/training-for-a-sportive-during-ramadan-stick-to-low-volume-or-go-shorter-but-more-often/101195/1 "2025-02-26T21:09:38Z")
I’m currently training for a sportive to challenge myself — 87 km with +1650 m of elevation on May 4th — and I may try to grab a bib for the Étape du Tour (131 km with +4500 m). I’ve been consistent for over a year after a long break, mainly following low-volume plans to keep training manageable due to other life commitments. This approach has worked well, helping me gradually raise my FTP from 194 to 226 (2.35 w/kg) AI detected ( my garmin say i’m at 2.41 wkg) without risking burnout. Now, I’m facing a dilemma as Ramadan approaches, during which I’ll be fasting for almost 12 hours daily (from 7 am to 6:30 pm). The first week will be a rest week, focusing on endurance and active recovery to adjust to the fast. In the second week, I’ll begin the specialty phase in preparation for my events. I’m wondering whether I should stick with a low-volume plan (3 training days per week see the screenshot) to maintain intensity without overloading my system or shift to a medium-volume plan (5 days per week) with shorter workouts — around 45 to 30 minutes each — to spread the load more evenly. My goal is to balance effective training with recovery, ensuring I don’t compromise my fitness gains or overexert myself during the fast. ![Capture d’écran 2025-02-26 à 21.30.57](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/original/3X/7/3/73c0ec487ca506f4729d4cc89d093b20fb04fda2.png) ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_M](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/mike_m/32/166706_2.png) [@Mike\_M](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Mike_M)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 9:27pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/training-for-a-sportive-during-ramadan-stick-to-low-volume-or-go-shorter-but-more-often/101195/3 "2025-02-26T21:27:14Z")
> [@Fasting during Ramadan and Training](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/fasting-during-ramadan-and-training/34323): > > Thank you for this amazing platform! I joined TrainerRoad almost a month ago, and i’m loving it. i started with sweetspot base 1 mid volume. I will be fasting for a month during Ramadan month which around the corner, but i do want to continue training. i was wondering if you have a recommendation on how can i keep fasting and being able to train without fading or losing fitness. I live in Canada, so my window of eating will be limited between 8:30 pm to around 4:30-5 am, and would prefer to… Hi, lots of comments here on this thread from 2020 and 2023. Best of luck on your training! ---
**Author:** ![Ibrahim\_F](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/ibrahim_f/32/158801_2.png) [@Ibrahim\_F](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Ibrahim_F)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 10:14pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/training-for-a-sportive-during-ramadan-stick-to-low-volume-or-go-shorter-but-more-often/101195/4 "2025-02-26T22:14:58Z")
Yes that’s my plan in both scenarios. Breaking my fast, usually with dates a banana, during workout may be I’ll take a gel ,if need be, and electrolytes drink to replenish then have a proper meal after training. May be a recovery shake before going to bed. My question is would doing a mid volume with shorter workouts be equivalent to low volume long workouts? I know that I need long steady efforts to prepare me for long climbs but I also thinking that it may take longer to recover from those given the fasting state. ---
**Author:** ![Ibrahim\_F](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/ibrahim_f/32/158801_2.png) [@Ibrahim\_F](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Ibrahim_F)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/training-for-a-sportive-during-ramadan-stick-to-low-volume-or-go-shorter-but-more-often/101195/5 "2025-02-26T22:19:03Z")
Thanks! I’ll check it out ---
**Author:** ![ZackeryWeimer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/zackeryweimer/32/118962_2.png) [@ZackeryWeimer](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/ZackeryWeimer)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2025, 10:34pm UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/training-for-a-sportive-during-ramadan-stick-to-low-volume-or-go-shorter-but-more-often/101195/6 "2025-02-26T22:34:16Z")
Hey there, As @Mike_M posted, check out some of the previous threads on this subject – there is a lot of good discussion! I think sticking with 3 days per week as you have now is a good starting point. That gives you 4 days totally off to recover each week, which may be needed with the fasting. It may even be worth changing your plan to a [Masters Plan](https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/19485515014683-What-are-Masters-Plans) to _decrease_ your intensity a little bit while still maintaining 3 workouts per week. Depending on how you feel, it may also be worth using [Workout Alternates](https://support.trainerroad.com/hc/en-us/articles/4402284012571-How-to-use-Workout-Alternates) to find shorter versions of your upcoming sessions if you find that what’s on there is too long. You can [maintain your fitness](https://www.trainerroad.com/blog/recover-maintain-and-build-fitness-after-completing-a-full-training-cycle/) on relatively little training, which I think might be the goal during this period given your life circumstances – it will be tough to gain fitness while fasting. Overexertion while fasting can happen quickly as well – as @ivegotabike mentioned, some of those workouts you have scheduled currently will burn over 1,000 Calories, which can be very difficult to recover from without enough food coming in. For those reasons, I think it would be good to keep the Low Volume plan for now and perhaps even dial down the volume/intensity further by using Workout Alternates. I think prioritizing preventing burnout/overtraining will be key for now, then you can really smash out the end of your Specialty Phase when the fasting ends.