How Do Female Wrestlers Deal with Periods? – 6 Tips To Beat Those Cramps
As a female wrestler, one of the worst feelings is arriving at a competition to realize you have only just begun your period. I have female colleagues who have bad memories in major tournaments with the most horrendous cramps and a box of tampons in their bags. After asking them for tips and some research, I decided to create this post to help other female wrestlers.
Women wrestlers have found ways to cope with their periods during their wrestling training, such as calming exercises like yoga and mindfulness, and wearing double underwear and menstrual cups to prevent any leaks in their training sessions. Lastly, eating well and drinking plenty of water is helpful to retain their strength when it’s the time of the month.
In this blog, we’ll talk about six ways female wrestlers can be at their very best when it is the time of the month.
6 Tips on How Female Wrestlers Deal with Periods
As a women athlete, adopting good coping habits that support you during your period is essential. Always be prepared because many of us have no idea what we should be prepared for!
Let’s talk about the strategies that we can use to make the competition day a little less painful.
One of the biggest challenges of competing as a female in the male-dominated sport of wrestling is having your monthly cycle.
Not only do periods make it impossible for the wrestler to be physically at their best, but they also make them feel emotionally weak.
So, here are 6 tips on how to deal with periods as a wrestler.
1. Do Yoga Stretches and Exercises
It is a great idea to have a yoga session an hour or two before the tournament. Many yoga poses serve as a sort of internal massage that relieves cramps.
A friend of mine told me that the child’s pose, for instance, relieves her cramps by flexing and relaxing her back, shoulders, and neck.
If you’re one of the many women who experience muscle and joint pain during menstruation, you’ll appreciate this simple pose.
The calming effects yoga has on your mind are just as beneficial as the relaxation your body will experience.
2. Wear Double Underwear to Prevent Leaks
For wrestlers on their period, it’s always a good idea to wear double underwear to protect against leaks. You should also keep extra underwear in your bag if your bleeding is particularly heavy at that time of the month.
Another great tip is to carry some black compression undershorts for the competition. Finally, you can wear fight shorts over your singlet to avoid bleeding on the mats.
Make sure that your underwear is snug enough. Snug underwear ensures that your pad or tampon stays put. You can also wear spandex under your singlet to get that tight fit.
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3. Bringing some painkillers could help
For women wrestlers who experience severe cramping, it is a good idea to keep some Ibuprofen or Tylenol at hand.
Make sure you drink plenty of water when you take one of these. Not only does it make you feel better by relieving cramps, but it also helps you stay in a better mood for your tournament.
Staying hydrated is essential for alleviating menstrual symptoms.
If you drink at least eight glasses of water on the day of your match, you experience fewer cramps and back aches.
Keep a large bottle of water to take sips during the pre-tournament training sessions.
A friend of mine says that drinking warm water also helps alleviate the cramps.
4. Eat Healthily
As a wrestler, you need to stay physically fit, especially more during your monthly cycle, to compensate for the lost nutrients. So, you need to eat nutrient-dense foods.
When you are on your period, your iron levels fall considerably. Therefore, it is critical to take iron supplements to avoid dangerously low iron levels.
It would be best if you also made some modifications to your diet based on your period. For example, eat foods rich in iron and protein.
Lean meat, for instance, is an excellent source of iron and protein, especially for menstruating women.
It is also a good idea to limit salt and caffeine and avoid saturated fats such as butter, cream, bacon, and potato chips.
You should also consume water-rich fruits such as watermelon and cucumber.
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5. Make Those Bathroom Trips
For women wrestlers with a heavy flow, it is a good idea to keep things in tight check.
To make things easier, you can schedule when you will check or change your tampon if you forget how long it has been since you last went to the ladies’ room.
Set the alarm on your phone, or have a teammate remind you regularly of these bathroom breaks throughout the day.
On the day of the competition, it can be challenging to balance your needs, let alone go to the bathroom for just-in-case checks.
A colleague also told me that there are mobile apps that can predict when you’re going to have your next period. You need to fill some things out.
This could help you prepare in case your period is near.
6. Be Mindful
When a woman is on her period, she experiences emotional lows that make it hard for her to focus on the match.
Therefore, it is essential to work on mindfulness. On the tournament day, wake up early with a positive mindset. Go for a run in the morning.
Grab your favorite book and some bath salts, then light up a few candles while soaking in a warm bath.
Let yourself emotionally calm down so your mind is in the right place when it’s time to wrestle. It’s all part of the experience’s mindfulness.
With these in mind, let’s sum these tips together.
What Do Women Wrestlers Do When They’re On Their Period?
Women wrestlers bring extra underwear when they’re on their period. They also wear double underwear or double pads for maximum protection. It is also recommended to wear snug sweatpants to practice or warm up for a competition. In addition, it’s common for these athletes to wear black undershorts to hide any emerging stains.
During that time of the month, it is vital to drink a lot of water healthily. Also, avoid sugary snacks before your match to keep those cramps at bay.
Women wrestlers also need to figure out a way to lessen their stress.
This may be by listening to music or taking a stroll through the woods.
Although stress does not directly cause mood swings during your period, it can certainly make you feel worse.
To give yourself a break, try to avoid stressful situations before and during your period.
Carrying out breathing exercises is what women wrestlers do during their period.
Even though being a women’s wrestler can be pretty stressful, you can do things to lessen the stress caused by periods.
One of the common questions new female wrestlers ask is if they could wear cups when they’re on their period; let’s answer that in the bonus section.
Do Female Wrestlers Wear Cups?
Generally speaking, female wrestlers can wear cups as they could be a good substitute for pads or tampons. Its advantage over tampons is that they wouldn’t need to bring extra pads, which could be a hassle. Cups also take a long time to get full, about 6-12 hours, enough time to finish the competition while on period.
The menstrual cup, unlike tampons, can be inserted around the time of an expected period to avoid first-day leakage.
These cups can also be kept in the vaginal canal for a longer duration, so it is preferred by female wrestlers to wear cups.
Using a menstrual cup eliminates the need for the athlete to carry extra pads or tampons, which can be burdensome and even embarrassing.
Women wrestlers sometimes do not get enough time to make many bathroom trips on the day of the competition, so it is a good idea to use menstrual cups.
If you wonder if female wrestlers wear cups, the answer is most definitely yes. The cup allows for more time between emptying, which is especially useful on the day of the competition.
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