Abdullah's plan for Ramadan

Vikings Muslim man will train as normal during fasting month and Minnesota are doing their bit to help through a nutritionist to ensure the safety remains fit.

Husain Abdullah will fast during Ramadan despite training with the Minnesota Vikings.

MANKATO, MINNESOTA // Husain Abdullah is approaching the most challenging month of his football season. The Minnesota Vikings back-up safety is a Muslim, and he plans to observe Ramadan and not eat or drink during daylight hours for the 30-day period that begins on Wednesday.

Even while sprinting in the heat and humidity during drills, sometimes in full pads, Abdullah is adamant about his faith. He will not allow himself so much as a cup of water until after the sun sets and before it rises. "I'm putting nothing before God, nothing before my religion," Abdullah said. "This is something I choose to do, not something I have to do. So I'm always going to fast." The Vikings said they are prepared to help him deal with the lack of nourishment, unlike last year when he tried to handle it on his own.

"Last year it occurred in early September, and we saw a dip in his performance," Brad Childress, the Vikings coach, said. Abdullah has worked with the team's nutritionist on a meal and hydration plan to make sure he gets enough calories to maintain his energy, stamina and health in the coming weeks. He will eat an early breakfast and a late dinner, and get up in the middle of the night to take a protein shake.

"I think we have our arms around it now and know when he is going to wake up and when he is going to eat and what we can pack on him before the sun comes up," Childress said. "Last year he was shouldering it all by himself. He is playing well. He is a good special teams player. He's a smart guy [and] he's got great football instincts." Abdullah said a back and hip injury last year was more a factor in his struggles than the fasting.

"I couldn't bend. I couldn't run, and I really wasn't the same player," said Abdullah, who played in all 16 games as an undrafted rookie out of Washington State in 2008 and led the Vikings with 24 special teams tackles. This year, he has had a strong training camp, giving the Vikings confidence in their depth at safety behind the starters Madieu Williams and Tyrell Johnson. Fasting is a rare practice in pro sports, since proper nourishment is critical to optimum performance, but it is not unprecedented.

Abdullah's older brother, Hamza, plays for the Arizona Cardinals and plans to abstain from daytime food and drink during Ramadan. The former NBA star Hakeem Olajuwon also observed it. Last month, an Islamic organisation and German soccer officials determined that a Muslim player may break his fast for matches during Ramadan. They decided a player may do so if he is obliged to perform under a contract that is his only source of income and if fasting harms his performance.

Abdullah has been encouraging teammates, trainers and coaches to join him in the discipline. Childress passed, but the head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman agreed to fast for a day or two. "Some people are going. Some people are kind of reluctant to sign up for it," Abdullah said. "They're like, 'Ah, maybe I'll just drink something'." Abdullah grew up in Pomona, California with seven brothers and four sisters and has observed Ramadan since he was seven. It is a time he looks forward to.

"I used to kind of keep it to myself," he said. "But now I'm actually excited that Islam is getting some positive attention." * Associated Press