Self-Selected Music and Anaerobic Performance in Futsal Players During Ramadan

This study was designed to examine the effects of self-selected music during warm-up on anaerobic performance in highly trained futsal players during and after Ramadan fasting. A randomized, counterbalanced crossover design was used, in which all participants completed both experimental conditions. A total of ten male futsal players competing in the Turkish Futsal First League participated in the study. All participants had at least two years of regular training experience and were actively engaged in competitive futsal. The study was conducted during Ramadan and repeated two weeks after Ramadan to compare fasting and non-fasting conditions. Participants completed two experimental sessions under each condition: (1) a standardized warm-up accompanied by self-selected music and (2) the same warm-up performed without music. The order of conditions was randomized and counterbalanced to minimize potential order effects. A minimum of 48 hours of recovery was provided between sessions. The warm-up protocol was based on a modified FIFA 11+ program. In the music condition, participants listened to self-selected, high-tempo music (approximately 120-140 beats per minute) through external speakers during the warm-up. The music was stopped before the performance test. Anaerobic performance was assessed using the Running-Based Anaerobic Sprint Test (RAST), which consists of six maximal 35-meter sprints separated by 10 seconds of passive recovery. Sprint times were recorded, and power outputs were calculated using standard equations. The primary outcome measures included peak power, mean power, minimum power, and fatigue index. All testing sessions were conducted at the same time of day (17:00) to control for circadian variation. Participants were instructed to maintain consistent nutritional habits and avoid strenuous activity prior to testing sessions. The study protocol was approved by the Gumushane University Scientific Research and Publication Ethics Committee, and all participants provided informed consent prior to participation.