The story of the NBA star fasting even when it plays: Put the phone away from the bed so I don't miss my syphyr.

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On Monday, around 4 a.m., Enes Canter will wake up, eat a light breakfast with igurts, fruit and peanut butter, and drink as much water as he can. Then, for about 16 hours between sunrise and sunset in Portland, Oregon, Portland's center, Trail Blazers will leave food, drink, and even soup pills that hurt him two weeks ago, reports New York Times, broadcast the Express.

For the Swiss-born Turkish Canter, who has fasted while playing basketball over the past decade, this routine is not new. But this time, circumstances are new: Never before has he fasted playing the play-offs phase of the NBA.

This year, he will fast while Portland Trail Blazers will face Denver Nuggets. Canter has scored an average of 30 points and made ten match jumps in a series against Denver. He has surprises that made the difference for Blazers, after Damian Lillard.

In Islam, Ramadan commemorates the month when God began to reveal the Quran to Muhammad. Each year about 1.5 billion people fast this month all day, when smoking, sex, and chewing gum are prohibited. In predominantly Islamic countries such as Turkey, where Canter grew, businesses and schools adjust their schedule around this month. In the United States, work continues in the same way as it does for some 3.45 million Muslims, including Canter. He has been taught only to fast.

For the first time, Canter started fasting while training for basketball. He was 16-year-old, living in Turkey and playing for a big team there. That year, Ramadan began in late August é every year moves back for about 11 days and the first exercises, twice a day, were exhausting for Canter.

I played against players who were 30 and 35 years old and I was the only one fasting. When I finished fasting, I drank so much water that I thought: “I no longer have room for food”, says Canter.

Since then, Canter has passed Ramadan in California. In Lexington, he was chosen to play for Kentucky University and then he played in three NBA clubs before Trail Blazers: Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks.

Although there were other Muslims in the NBA (Careem Abdul-Jabbar was converted to Islam in 1968, a year before the launch of the 20-year career in the NBA, and Haqueem Olaywon was known to play while fasting), Canter made sure to make clear to clubs his religious obligations.

Before I go to these teams, I say: “They respect this thing so much that they give me a special room to forgive. So before the games, after the fights, before the exercises, before we travel for a match, I can use that room whenever I want to and thank”.

Canter found that when joining a new club, there are always questions about why you don't consume alcohol, but they are well - intentioned. In fact, one of the trainers in Oklahoma City Thunder had been so curious about Ramadan that he had fasted two or three days to better understand Canter's situation. The teams also offer Canter special foods, which are also popular with his associates.

“Steven Adams was a very, very big fan of the food at the worst and I remember the day I traded on Knicks, he's very upset. He said to me: “ner, I can't eat any more food, rybean””.

Although past Ramadans were during the time the season for Canter was already over, Kante enjoys fasting so much that she fasts once or twice a week throughout the year. This routine ensures that he maintains control over his eating desires, which he most frequently faces about 15 minutes after basketball matches.

Even the trips from the east coast to the west, which lasts another three hours at the time of fasting, did not shake Canter. If you can fast 15 hours, you can fast 18”, he adds.

Fasting presents no problem with the food values that Canter's body needs, according to Dr. Richard Bloomer, dean of the School of Health Studies and the Center for Goodness and Fitnus at the University of Memphis.

Many people think: “O Lord, my carbs or glikogens can be emptied” This would be problematic, but the reality is that if you eat in an adequate way during the time you don't fast, people can reserve all the energy they need”, Bloomer shows.

Recent studies have shown that fasting can help and harm an athlete's performance. Dr. Bloomer believes a player's experience may also depend on their thinking. If Canter believes fasting will harm his appearance, this may happen.

Fasting, however, presents no problem for Canter. In fact, I work even more during Ramadan because my body is used to that way”, he says.

Tareq Azim, an NFL coach in San Francisco who played Fresno State before he retired, shares the same opinion. The peace of the mind during Ramadan has always been a crazy thing. Technically, I became even better during that month. I didn't rely too much on power and force”.

Azim remembers a specific fight against Colorado State, even after the sun set. During one break, a fellow worker who was distressed sprayed some water in his mouth.

He told me: “You have to break human fast. You have something”. I felt so easy that I felt like I was flying. And I always remember that moment when I'm close to breaking fast. It's almost as if you could find a backup power inside of yourself”.

As Canter, Azim has learned, over the years, how to face the challenges of fasting during Ramadan. In the fifth grade, he had tried to start fasting. He would wake up with his parents at about 4: 00 a.m. and eat before sunrise food.

It was very difficult to stay awake and eat bread. I sat and probably had my head on the table because of sleep even with an egg piece in my mouth”, says Azim.

After another few hours of sleep, Asim fasted for as long as he could, but with nothing in his belly, it was not easy. I used to last until 10 am.”

As Canter prepares for at least two next matches with Nuggets, he has to make sure that he gets as much energy through food in his eyes as possible to support himself for another 15 hours. He has a plan for this.

That's why he always put the phone away from the bed so I don't get any sleep again and my syphyr” escaped.