CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION INDUCED BY ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS FASTING ON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Scientific research in recent decades has increasingly focused on changes in body composition influenced by Orthodox religious fasting, which the Church has established before major holidays. The purpose of this study is to provide more information on how body composition parameters changed among high school students who followed the recommendations of Orthodox religious fasting for forty days (during Lent). A sample of twenty-eight students from Holy Cyril and Methodius High School in Niš was analyzed . The average age of all male participants was 17.4 ± 1.2 years. Anthropometric measures were taken both before and after the 40-day fast. The Omron BF 511 device, which provided information on body weight, BMI (body mass index), percentage of body fat, percentage of skeletal muscle, and basal metabolic rate, was used to measure body composition values. The acquired data were subjected to statistical analyses, including ANOVA and MANOVA for repeated measures. The results show a statistically significant difference (p = 0.012) between the initial and final measurements based on the MANOVA analysis. This study indicates that students interested in reducing weight while maintaining their muscle mass could benefit from practicing Orthodox religious fasting for 40 days. Further research is needed to confirm these results and explore the long-term effects of religious fasting and the post-fasting period, particularly for this participant sample.