IMPLICATIONS OF FASTING PRACTICES ON HEALTH AND ALTHLETIC PERFORMANCE OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS OF KOGI STATE UNIVERSITY, ANYIGBA.

Abstract

This study was designed to examine the implication of fasting practices on health and athletic
performance of undergraduate students of Kogi State University, Anyigba. Two research
questions and hypotheses were tested for in this study. The population for the study was 850
students from Kogi state univwesity,Anyigba. The research design adopted for the study was
descriptive survey design. Multistage sampling techniques were used to select one hundred and
fifty respondents using purposive simple random and stratified sampling techniques. The data
was collected with the use of structured questionnaire consisting of 15 items was used to elicit
information form the respondents. The questionnaire was validated by three experts. Cronbach
alpha was used to determine the reliability of the instruments which yielded 0.76 coefficients.
The data collected was analyzed using pearson product moment correlation coefficient. The
results of the study revealed that fasting practices has significant effects on health and athletic
performance of undergraduate students of Kogi State University, Anyigba. Calculated r-value
of 0.165and0.173 were higher than the critical r-value of 0.159 at 0.05 level of significance with
299 degree of freedom. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that ,where a
period of fasting coincides with a major competition. Athletes should defer their fasting. Athletes
who choose to observe a fast should develop a coping strategy for pre-event warm up, pre-event
or in-event cooling strategies, recovery strategies and lifestyle issues.